You've Been Struck By A Smooth Criminal
by SantittanyForever
Summary: Santana Lopez is a hardened criminal. She has just been assigned her toughest mission yet. But what happens when Brittany Pierce bounds into her life, possibly changing it forever? AU Brittana & slight Faberry later on in fic.
1. Chapter 1

**This is an idea I've been thinking about for a while now, and I decided to write it because I thought it was quite interesting and different from the normal Brittana fics.**

**So, without further ado, here's Chapter 1. I hope you guys like it! :D**

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Santana took a deep breath, trying to clear her head and remain focused on the task at hand. One more click and… there. The lock of the safe sprung open with a satisfying pop, and Santana smirked arrogantly.

"Okay Mr Anderson, I'm in." she whispered into her watch, which served as a communication device between her and the head of her squad, Blaine Anderson.

"_Good. Now there should be three items in the safe: A bag filled with coins, a large stack of gold, and a brown paper sack. Inside the sack, you should find a large amount of small diamonds. Take nothing but the sack. Then get outta there as fast as you can."_

Santana reached forward and grabbed the plain brown bag, smiling to herself as she closed the safe door and reset the code on the lock.

"Too easy."

She then stood up and turned, walking out of the high security storage room of the Central Ohio bank, shutting the door silently behind her and keeping her wits about her for any approaching security guards, her hand resting protectively over the gun attached to her belt.

She crouched as she approached the front entrance, peering out from behind the wall. She cursed silently as she noticed the arrival of a guard who had not been there when she had first entered the bank. Evidently, it seemed getting out was going to be a lot more difficult than breaking in.

She shoved the bag containing the diamonds into her large black handbag, slinging the bag over her shoulder. She then straightened up, smoothing out the creases in her professional black suit, which was fitted in a way so that it accentuated every flow and curve of her luscious body. She released her flowing, glossy hair from its tight bun and fixed a dazzling smile onto her face, sauntering over to the security guard, fluttering her long eyelashes alluringly.

"Hello there. I'm the official bank inspector of Lima, Ohio. I was just performing a routine check on your bank's security, and everything seems to be in order." she husked, drawing her lower lip into her mouth and biting it teasingly.

The security guard gawked at Santana, mouth hanging slightly open.

"Umm… Well, I, uh, I guess that's good." he grinned, eyes travelling up and down the length of Santana's body.

She bit back a groan of disgust, instead winking at the man, who was practically drooling with his tongue on the floor, before turning and walking slowly towards the doors. She shifted her bag casually on her shoulder, but she nudged it with a little too much force and it slipped down her arm, its contents spilling out onto the shiny tiled floor of the bank's reception.

She cursed again, loudly this time, as the bag of diamonds went skimming across the floor, along with her lipstick and purse. A few of the small shiny rocks skittered out of the bag, in which a small hole had formed due to its collision with the hard floor. The security guard's eyes widened, as they moved from watching the sway of Santana's hips to witnessing the explosion of her bag and seeing the diamonds which he knew did not belong to the mysterious woman in front of him.

He leapt into action, pressing the secret button, which was hidden behind a tall plant situated in the corner of the room, to alert the police. Meanwhile, Santana was scrabbling around on the floor, attempting to gather up everything she had dropped. She swore repeatedly, trying to gather the spilled diamonds while making a grab for her favourite lipstick. She glanced up, and saw the security guard racing towards her, arms outstretched as if to grab her.

"Damn!" she exclaimed.

She knew she had to get out of there, now, or spend the rest of her young adult life rotting in a prison cell, surrounded by ruthless women who liked nothing better than a hot young Latina to pick on.

So, she grabbed the diamond bag, covering the hole with her palm before shoving it back into her handbag, reluctantly leaving her lipstick and the few other items on the bank floor. She then turned on her heel, sprinting out into the street, glancing behind her to see the guard hot on her tail. She grumbled angrily to herself as she ran, enraged at the fact that this idiot made her lose her favourite lipstick, which was Cherry Crush and was absolutely delicious.

"Stupid puta. Making me lose my favourite lipstick. That was my lady-grabbin' lipstick!"

She felt fresh anger coursing through her veins, and turned suddenly, causing the guard to skid to a halt a few metres away. He raised his eyebrows cautiously, unsure of what she was going to do. The sound of sirens then began to wail, closer and closer, and the guard smirked victoriously, as if he had won already.

Santana narrowed her eyes dangerously, tensing her muscles and muttering eight simple but deadly words.

"You have no idea who you're messing with."

She then lunged at the man, who elicited a grunt of surprise as her fist connected with his jaw. A loud crack filled the air, breaking the silence of the middle-class neighbourhood they had entered. He staggered back, gasping and nursing his jaw, which he was sure was now broken. Santana chuckled darkly, then took off once again, sprinting until he was out of sight. However, the sirens continued to approach, so she kept running, her breathing deep and even. She was so focused on getting away, she failed to notice the presence of another person, jogging towards her from the opposite direction.

They collided with a loud smack, Santana letting out an emphatic "Oomph!" while the other person stumbled, using a nearby lamppost to stop themselves from falling.

"Oh gosh, wow, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" exclaimed the stranger, who Santana now knew was a woman from her soft, gentle voice.

"Uh yeah, yeah I'm fine." Santana mumbled, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

But then she looked up, getting a proper look at the woman in front of her.

She was dazzling. Her blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight, giving her an almost angelic glow. She had the most breath-taking smile, her teeth perfectly straight and as white as snow. Her skin was as smooth and as creamy as porcelain china. And those eyes. They were the most spectacular shade of crystal blue Santana had ever seen.

"Hey. I'm Brittany. Brittany Pierce." she said brightly.

While Santana muttered back an astounded "Hi" and introduced herself simply as "Santana", Brittany was surveying this new woman, who had literally crashed into her life, with more than a little interest.

She had long, flowing dark hair, which was tousled in the most adorable way from their collision. Her eyes were a deep, enthralling shade of chocolate brown, and they had a glint in them that Brittany found herself drawn to. Her skin was a mouth-watering tan colour; it reminded Brittany of caramel and coffee and the sweetest maple syrup. And her lips. She had the plumpest, juiciest, most tempting lips Brittany had ever seen. She wanted to do nothing but kiss them all day, which she thought was odd and a tad creepy since she had only just met the girl.

Santana noticed Brittany staring at her, and had to work hard to fight the blush that was threatening to creep its way up her tan cheeks.

"Ahem. Well, it was nice to meet you, _Brittany_", Santana rolled the word around on her tongue, liking the way it sounded coming out of her mouth, "But I really have to go."

Brittany looked a little disappointed, but nodded, smiling slightly while holding Santana's intense gaze.

"Okay. It was nice to meet you too. I'll see you around, hopefully?"

Santana nodded, although a small voice in the back of her mind told her that she knew she wouldn't be seeing Brittany again. Her plan was simple; get the diamonds back to Blaine at Headquarters, then head to Mexico, where her next mission was set.

The Latina then walked forward, passing Brittany and accidentally catching a whiff of something delicious. She breathed in deeper, and realised that it was Brittany. But this wasn't a smell a perfume could produce; this smell was Brittany's natural scent, and it was like strawberries and vanilla and many wonderful things.

Santana caught herself inhaling deeply, and shook her head slightly.

"_Stop it."_

She then walked away, facing forward, not looking back. She turned the corner and stopped, using a large bush as a cover. She opened her bag, planning on checking that none of the diamonds had spilled out during her impact with Brittany. But, instead of finding a slightly crumpled paper bag filled with diamonds, she was met with a large empty space and a few nondescript items littering the bottom of the bag. Her heart began to race as she rooted around inside the bag, hoping that the diamonds had just been shoved into one of the dark corners during the scuffle. But it was clear.

The diamonds were gone.

She thought back to the previous events of the last few minutes, trying to determine where they could have gone. And then it hit her.

Brittany. She too had been holding a bag, and Santana remembered it being open because she had glimpsed a hard backed copy of Peter Pan poking out of the top.

"_The diamonds must have fallen into Brittany's bag when we smashed into each other." _

Her eyes widened with panic, this newest realisation causing her to breathing to speed up erratically. She fumbled with her watch, entering the combination which would alert her to Blaine. His authoritative voice rang through the device a few seconds later.

"_Santana. Has the mission been completed?"_

"Umm. Honestly sir, there's been a slight… complication."

Santana heard Blaine inhale sharply, and she gulped nervously.

"_What complication?" _he murmured ominously.

"It seems… well, you see, the diamonds… I was running from the obnoxious security guard and I collided with a woman, her bag was open, and I think… the diamonds ended up in her bag."

"_What?"_

Santana cringed at the harsh tone in Blaine's voice, but attempted to remain composed.

"But sir, it's okay, I'll follow her, I'll get the diamonds back!"

"_Damn right, you'll get the diamonds back! I want you to find out where she lives, and do whatever you have to do to get them. But Santana, whatever you do, DO NOT get caught. This means, no breaking in. You have to find a way to get them back in which you cannot get into trouble or arrested."_

"But sir! How the hell am I supposed to get the diamonds back without breaking into her house?" Santana objected.

"_I DON'T CARE! Do whatever you need to, become her friend, pretend you're a newcomer to the neighbourhood and you want to get to know your neighbours, anything! JUST GET ME THOSE DIAMONDS. We clear, Lopez?"_

"Yes sir." Santana growled.

"_Good. And Santana? If you screw up one more time, you will be relegated back down to second in command with Artie and Rachel. And if you fail to successfully complete this mission with ALL of the diamonds in your possession, without being caught, then you'll be working as the company cleaner with Finn for the next year. That's a promise."_

The call ended with a loud click, and Santana let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, her mind racing desperately, trying to figure out a plan for what she was going to do next. She realised she had no choice but to do what Blaine had said; make friends with Brittany, get into her house _legally_, then get the diamonds back as quickly as possible. So she headed across town, hailing a cab, directing it towards her home in Lima Heights Adjacent, the rougher part of Lima.

She reached her apartment, which was a small building situated above a taco restaurant, and made her way up the stairs, rushing to shove her key into the lock. She flung open her door and raced over to the phonebook that she kept on her desk. Her eyes sought out the number for the Information Desk in the Community Hall, and she smiled triumphantly as she found it and dialled it into her phone.

"Hello, Lima Community Hall?"

"Hi there." Santana said sweetly. "My name is Karen Pierce, I'm looking for the address of my daughter, she recently moved house and I seem to have misplaced the name of the street."

"Okay ma'am, and what is your daughter's name?"

"Brittany Pierce." Santana said confidently.

Santana heard the unmistakable sound of tapping on computer keys, and then the receptionists' voice spoke into her ear once again.

"Ah yes, here she is. Her address is 14 Grove Street, Upper Ohio, OH6 DH7."

"Thank you."

Santana hung up with a concluding click, smiling to herself triumphantly.

Tomorrow, she would find Brittany Pierce.

And she would have the diamonds back in no time.

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**Please leave a review letting me know what you think so far, seeing your comments makes me happier than a kitten with a never-ending ball of wool! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I got a really helpful suggestion from my awesome friend Jenni in a review, saying that I should put the summary of this fic at the top of each chapter, just so it's easier for you guys to keep track of what it's about and stuff. So, here it is ^^**

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**Summary: **Santana Lopez is a hardened criminal. She has just been assigned her toughest mission yet. But what happens when Brittany Pierce bounds into her life, possibly changing it forever? AU Brittana.

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**Also, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has favourited/alerted so far and those of you who have reviewed - SGAFirenity, ToniiChuckles, TeamBrittanaGermany, my dad, my flailbot LemonPie, and the anonymous reviewer! :D**

**Anyway, my good fellows and wenches, on to Chapter 2! **

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Santana awoke abruptly, the sound of her repetitive beeping alarm clock ringing in her ears. She grabbed it and flung it against the wall violently, where it smashed and landed on the floor in a crumpled heap.

"God, I hate that damn thing." she grumbled, pushing the duvet off herself roughly while dragging her exhausted body out of bed.

"Memo to self: do not go out partying until the early hours of the morning when you have missions to complete." she muttered, her face twisted into an expression of pain mingled with disgust, as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair stuck out at all angles, she had make-up smeared all over her face, and she realised that she must have fallen asleep in the clothes she was wearing yesterday, as she vaguely remembered coming home and flinging herself haphazardly into bed.

She quickly stripped off her clothes, tossing them into the growing pile in the corner of her room, then jumped into the shower, humming tunelessly. She then began to sing, loudly, her voice ringing around the tiled bathroom. For there was one thing no one, not even Blaine Anderson, knew about Santana Lopez. And that was, she absolutely loved to sing. She continued to belt out the chorus to Valerie at the top of her lungs, until her hair was clean and her body was scrubbed until it was practically sparkling. As she stepped out of the shower and leaned forward to grab a towel, she caught a glimpse of herself in the floor-length mirror, and she couldn't help smirking proudly.

"Damn girl." she murmured to her naked reflection. "You is lookin' fine!"

She then sauntered into her room, pulling on her favourite pair of jeans and a nice fitted top, while unconsciously whistling 'Waiting For A Girl Like You' softly under her breath. After a few seconds, however, she realised what she had been singing, and cleared her throat awkwardly, even though she was alone and there was no way anyone could have possibly heard her. She then changed her tune, literally, as she started jumping around wildly while rapping 'Pretty Fly For A White Guy' in an overly masculine voice, while she searched for her handbag containing her purse, make-up, and gun (well, you can never be too sure of what might happen on a trip to a middle-class neighbourhood, right?)

She then grabbed her keys, snatched a banana from the bowl lying on the kitchen counter, and trotted to the door, opening it stiffly with her elbow. Before she shut it behind her, she rifled through her bag, making sure she hadn't forgotten the most important thing.

"There you are." she muttered, finding the scrap piece of paper on which she had written Brittany's address.

She then walked down the stairs, striding out into the street. She glanced up, frowning slightly at the overcast, grey clouds.

"_Oh well." _she thought to herself. _"I'll be inside with Brittany for most of the day anyway."_

At the thought of Brittany, her stomach did a little involuntary flip, which she silently chided herself for.

"_Don't even go there." _She growled vehemently to herself. "_All you're doing is pretending to make friends, then you're going to get in, get the diamonds, and get out. That's all." _she stated adamantly to her mind, which had begun singing "Santana and Brittany, sitting in a tree, k-i-ss-i-n-g", much to her annoyance.

And yet, there was still a tiny part of her that tingled with excitement at the thought of seeing Brittany and being near her, inside her house, inside her room... First things first though, she had to convince Brittany to actually let her into the house; that meant utilising her acting skills to the best of her ability, and putting on the best performance she had ever done in her life.

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The cab pulled up outside the address Santana had presented to the driver, and as she climbed out of the car, he turned to watch her leave, his eyes tracing the outline of her ass in her tantalisingly tight jeans.

"Perv." she spat, as she tossed a couple of ten dollar bills through the window.

"_Besides", _she thought to herself, _"these jeans aren't for your benefit. They're for a certain blonde who has the most incredible blue eyes…"_

She caught herself before she could continue her sentence, reprimanding herself once again for letting Brittany worm her way into her mind.

She made her way up the neatly trimmed grass that framed the front of the house, letting her eyes roam over the various objects that decorated the garden; the white picket fence, the colourful flower bed, the ornaments that were scattered over different areas of the rich greenery; rosy-cheeked gnomes, unicorns frozen mid-leap, pirates with wicked grins and deadly swords, imps and pixies dancing around a circle of daises. A small water feature trickled in the corner of the garden, each layer sporting a different scene; one showed horses prancing in a meadow, another showed butterflies perched precariously on the finest branches of a tree, and the third involved what looked like a gathering of magical creatures enjoying a dinner party. She found herself smiling as she took it all in, finding it rather… cute.

No. Santana Lopez did not do cute. She shook her head slightly, attempting to clear the fluffy haze that had descended over her mind, and approached the front door, which was a bright yellow and was adorned with a sign that said, "Welcome to Brittany's!"

Santana raised her hand, hesitating for a second before pressing the lollipop shaped doorbell. A few seconds of silence followed the loud ring, and then Santana heard a shuffling sound coming from inside the house. The door then opened suddenly, and a rather large tabby cat came shooting out, heading straight for the water feature, lapping up the water earnestly. Santana watched the cat intriguingly, then turned back to the door and jumped a little in surprise as she was met by Brittany's piercing gaze.

"Sorry about Lord Tubbington. He's always too eager to get outside and play in the water." Brittany giggled, smiling lovingly as she watched the bulky cat waddle around contentedly.

The blonde's eyebrows then furrowed slightly in confusion as she looked at the woman standing on her front porch, and she tilted her head slightly as she tried to figure out why Santana seemed familiar to her. Then her face lit up and her mouth stretched into a smile as the realisation dawned on her.

"Hey! It's Santana, right?"

Santana nodded, before answering with, "Yeah, and you're Brittany."

The blonde blushed, shocked that Santana had remembered her name, before collecting herself and looking at Santana curiously.

"So…?"

"What?"

"Well… you're at my house."

"Oh right!" Santana exclaimed, a look of embarrassment flitting across her stunning features momentarily. Brittany giggled adorably, her nose scrunching in a way that made Santana's stomach do back flips.

"Well, I, umm… I came here because…" Santana stuttered. She realised she hadn't thought up a valid reason for _why_ she would be coming to Brittany's house, considering she was practically a stranger and the blonde hadn't even given Santana her address. "I… uh, I wanted to apologise properly for the other day."

Brittany frowned slightly, confused as to what Santana was apologising for. Santana noticed the bewilderment on the blonde's pretty face, and so tried to offer a clearer explanation.

"I, uh, felt bad for bumping into you and not really saying sorry, y'know, properly. So, I thought I would come here and tell you, in person or whatever."

Santana winced, convinced that her appalling lie was obvious and that Brittany would see through her façade right away. But suddenly, the blonde broke out into a wide grin, swinging the door open and stepping back, gesturing for Santana to enter the house.

"Well then, by all means, come in!"

Brittany bowed in an over-exaggerated manner, and Santana couldn't help but to giggle, as the blonde pulled a funny face waving her hand in a regal flourish as she directed Santana towards the living room.

Both girls then sat on the sofa, which was covered with a plaid blanket, but Santana could see the worn brown fabric of the sofa peeking out from between the various holes the riddled the patterned cover. She glanced around, taking in the new, unfamiliar surroundings. Brittany's house was sparsely decorated; she didn't have fancy ornaments, or top-of-the-range electrical equipment. But her house was cosy and inviting, unlike Santana's conventional, messy apartment.

Aside from the worn sofa they were perched on now, the living room was filled by a simple, cushion-covered armchair, which was sat grandly below the window, diagonally facing the television. The curtains were a light chalk blue, and they framed the sunlight as it streamed into the room through the net curtains, giving the room a safe, warm glow. A fireplace was situated in the corner, a small black casket containing a few burnt embers sitting beneath the grate. Above the fireplace was a mantelpiece, adorned with a few framed photographs. Santana noticed a photo of a much younger Brittany, sitting on a woman's lap, grinning, and she couldn't help but to smile at the look of bliss on younger Brittany's face.

While Santana had been inquisitively studying the living room with growing interest, Brittany, in turn, had been studying her. The curve of her full lips, the way they stretched upwards when she smiled, the way her nose crinkled when she laughed…

"So Santana, whatcha smiling at?"

Santana jumped slightly, startled by the soft intrusion of Brittany's voice into her daydreams.

"That picture. You… you look so happy. It's nice."

Brittany swivelled her head to see the picture that Santana was referring to, and her lips curved up into a sad smile.

"Oh yeah. That was me and my mom, when I was eleven. She was great."

Santana picked up on the dejected tone Brittany had adopted, and averted her gaze from the photo to focus on Brittany.

"Was?"

Brittany shifted uncomfortably, before replying,

"Yeah. She died when I was fifteen."

Santana couldn't hold back the sympathetic gasp that escaped her lips.

"Oh Brittany. I'm so sorry."

Santana leaned over, placing her hand gently over Brittany's. Both girls inhaled sharply at the electric buzz that zapped through them when their hands came into contact.

"Electric shock." Santana whispered, and Brittany smiled slightly, raising her eyes to lock gazes with the mysterious brunette.

"So, Miss Santana…" Brittany began, eliciting a giggle from Santana at the use of the formal title. "Tell me about yourself."

Santana froze for a second, startled by the unexpected request, but then relaxed as she felt Brittany stroking her knuckles softly.

"What do you want to know?"

Brittany took in a deep breath, before leaning forwards slightly and whispering, "Everything."

Santana felt her heart start beating slightly faster, and had to fight to keep her breathing under control.

"Well, if I told you everything, then I'd have to kill you." she murmured, smiling wryly.

Brittany chuckled, amused by Santana's dry sense of humour.

Little did she know how much truth Santana's statement actually held.

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**Just so you all know, this conversation will continue straight away in the next chapter. I just didn't want this chapter to end up being really long, and besides, I like making you all wait, because I'm a teasing bitch like that ;D**

**But yeah, in all seriousness, I hope you're all enjoying this fic so far, and please, don't be afraid to let me know what you think, what you like, what you think I could improve on. Reviews make me happy, and a happy Steph makes for more ficery, because they encourage me to keep writing ^^ So yeah, just click that little button, and type type type away! :D Muchas gracias! **


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay, well, why don't we start with the little things?" Brittany asked brightly, bouncing up and down slightly with excitement. "Actually, I've got an idea. How about, I'll ask a question, then you answer, and then I'll answer the same question. That way, we can learn loads about each other!"

Santana giggled at the enthusiasm in Brittany's voice and nodded.

"Awesome!" squealed the adorable blonde. "Okay, first question. What's your favourite colour?"

"Hmm. I think I'd have to go with... red. Yours?"

"Baby blue." Brittany smiled. "Okay, now you ask one!"

Santana nodded earnestly, before pausing for a second to think of a question.

"Okay, I've got one! What type of music do you like?"

"Ohh!" Brittany squealed. "Well, I like loads of different types to be honest. I like pop, rock, a bit of country, some punk. What about you?"

Santana smiled timidly, before answering quietly.

"Well, like you, I enjoy different types of music. But, there is a genre that I prefer over all the others..."

Brittany nodded, encouraging Santana to continue.

"I have quite a soft spot for... show tunes."

Brittany frowned, her confusion evident in her sky blue eyes.

"You know... Broadway songs? Musicals? That kind of stuff."

Brittany froze for a second, before collapsing forward into a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?" Santana demanded, although she too was fighting to keep the smile off her face.

"It's just... the idea of you, sitting at home, belting out the lyrics to _America_ from West Side Story, or _If I Can't Have You_ from Saturday Night Fever... I just never pictured you as a musical kinda girl!" she gasped, in between giggles.

"Well, sounds like I'm not the only one here who likes musicals." Santana stated, winking cheekily. "And besides... I do an _amazing_ Danny Zuko impression, if I do say so myself."

She then leaned back, pretending to run her hands through slicked-back hair and doing her best impersonation of the leather-clad student from Rydell High. Brittany was now doubled over, still laughing hysterically at the mental image of the tough Latina strutting around while singing _Greased Lightnin'_, while Santana's head was thrown back in ecstasy, her laugh echoing around the room.

"Okay, okay, next question!" Brittany said, a large grin now dominating her striking features. "Where did you grow up?"

"Lima Heights." Santana answered, albeit slightly reluctantly. Brittany noticed the hesitant tone in Santana's voice, and gripped her hand harder, smiling encouragingly at her. The Latina couldn't help but to smile back, before replying,

"What about you?"

"I grew up in Connecticut, then I moved here with my dad after my mom passed away."

Santana nodded, forehead creased sympathetically at the way Brittany's eyes clouded over with sadness at the mention of her mother.

"Alright, I'll ask the next question." Santana volunteered, as Brittany smiled gratefully at the welcome distraction. "What do you do? Like, as a job?"

"Oh! I'm a garden planner, sort of like a decorator!" Brittany exclaimed. "I designed my own garden y'know."

Santana's jaw dropped open in surprise.

"Dios mio! You did all that?" she said, pointing at the magnificent garden that was visible beyond the large windows situated across from where they were sitting.

Brittany nodded shyly, her cheeks tinted the most adorable shade of pink Santana had ever seen.

"Wow. That's amazing Britt."

Brittany grinned at the compliment and the unexpected nickname, and then turned her attention back to Santana.

"So, what about you, Santana? What's your career?" she questioned curiously.

Santana paused for a split second, her mind racing, desperately searching for an idea to cling to.

"Umm... I'm, uh, kind of in-between jobs at the moment." she muttered, dropping her gaze and fumbling mindlessly with the tassels of one of the embroidered cushions that adorned the couch.

She glanced up, expecting a look of disdain from Brittany, but was shocked to find the blonde watching her, her head tilted to one side, a small smile on her face as her eyes met Santana's.

"What?" Santana said, the hint of a smile playing on her perfect lips.

"Nothing." Brittany murmured. "I just... you're just so beautiful."

Brittany then reached forward unexpectedly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind Santana's ear.

Santana inhaled sharply, as she felt her heart begin to thump wildly against her ribcage, until she was sure it was going to explode out of her chest. She swallowed nervously, the gulp audible in the sudden stillness that surrounded them. Brittany leaned forward slightly, eyes locked with Santana's, lips parted slightly, until Santana could hear each little breath ghosting past the blonde's inviting pink lips.

Santana leaned in more too, intoxicated by Brittany, as the blonde's hand moved down to cup her cheek gently. As their faces got closer and closer, Santana's mind began to fill with a jumble of voices, the most prominent being Blaine's and Brittany's...

'_Damn right, you'll get the diamonds back...'_

'_...do whatever __you need to, become her friend, pretend you're a newcomer to the neighbourhood...'_

'_...__you're just so beautiful...'_

Santana then pulled away from Brittany abruptly, coughing lightly and running her hands through her hair. Brittany's face dropped slightly at the sudden rejection, but then she was back to her normal self in a flash, giggling quietly and blushing, which once again made Santana smile.

"So... you were saying something about me being beautiful?" Santana smirked, attempting to regain some of her cocky arrogance that she had never had trouble with, that is, before she had met Brittany.

Brittany beamed at her, and Santana felt her stomach clench, but in a good, strangely pleasant way. She didn't know what it was about the blonde... something about her made Santana feel... different. When she was with Brittany, she felt like she could just be herself, and not worry about Blaine or the diamonds or anything.

The diamonds.

She had to keep reminding herself that they were why she was here. She was here to get them back and then get out of there as fast as she could. It wasn't difficult. She could do it, no problem.

But why did she feel something pulling her, something that was beginning to make her doubt whether she could do this?

'_No. Snap out of it. This is not like you. Come on, you can do this. All you have to do in keep this up for a couple more days, then get the damn diamonds and get out of here, and you'll be off to Mexico in no time. Just a couple more days..."_

She kept repeating it to herself, '_just a couple more days_', the mantra swimming round her mind like a shark confined to a tank that is much too small for its immense size. But, no matter how much she tried to convince herself, there it was, that nagging feeling, that feeling that told her that maybe, just maybe, she didn't have to... no, didn't **want** to do this.

She was torn, the struggle raging on within her savagely. Brittany, meanwhile, had noticed the conflicted look on Santana's face, and reached over, stroking Santana's forearm gently, nibbling her lip in concern for the other girl.

Santana jumped, startled out of her reverie by Brittany's unexpected touch. Brittany had her eyes fixed on Santana, watching her inquisitively.

Brittany then took Santana's hand once again, using her other hand to tilt the brunette's face towards hers until they were gazing into each other's eyes.

"I've got another question for you." murmured the blonde. "Are you seeing anyone?"

Santana shook her head slightly, and Brittany had to battle to stop herself from grinning like a maniac.

"No... boyfriends then?"

"I haven't had a... boyfriend."

"...Ever?" Brittany gasped.

"Never."

"But... how? I mean, you're so nice, and funny, and gorgeous..." Brittany's cheeks flushed as she bit her tongue, willing for Santana to fill the silence that she had just caused with her candid words.

"But I have had _girlfriends_ in the past though, so it's not all bad." Santana replied wryly, watching Brittany to gauge her reaction. Brittany smiled a little, playing with the hem of Santana's t-shirt.

"Oh I see. So... you're gay?"

Santana nodded, before replying quietly,

"What about you?"

"I'm... undecided. I believe that everyone can love anyone they want, regardless of gender. It just takes that one special person to make you fall in love, and it shouldn't matter if they're male or female."

Santana smiled adoringly at Brittany, the blonde's honest words creating a fuzzy, happy feeling that flowed warmly through her body.

Santana's eyes then travelled over to the ornate clock that was positioned above the mantelpiece, and she gasped involuntarily when she noticed the time.

"Oh crap! Is it four fifteen already? Oh, I'm sorry Brittany, but I have to go!"

Blaine had left a message on her answering machine the night before saying he was going to beep her at precisely four thirty today for an update on the diamond-retrieval situation. She knew she had to get out of there before that happened, or she would be in serious trouble.

Brittany pouted, her disappointment evident, but stood up and smiled at Santana graciously.

"Well, before you go, I have to say thank you for stopping by. I... I had a really lovely time getting to know you."

Santana blushed furiously, and was grateful for her tan skin, as it made the blush almost imperceptible.

"Uhmm, well, thanks for having me over."

She attempted to remain composed, not wanting to get any more attached to Brittany than she already had, but she couldn't resist striding over and wrapping her arms briefly around the startled blonde. Brittany raised her arms and looped them around Santana, pulling her in tighter and holding her. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until Santana pulled away and smiled ruefully.

"Alright, well... I'll see you around?"

Brittany nodded, before taking Santana's hand gently and walking her over to the front door. Brittany opened it courteously for Santana, and the brunette bowed grandly with a flourish, eliciting the cutest of giggles from Brittany.

But, just as Santana was about to make her way down the paved path that stretched out in front of her, she felt a warm hand on her arm hold her in place.

"Wait."

Santana turned to face Brittany, eyebrows raised curiously.

"Umm, Santana? Can I... do you think I could get your number?"

Santana nodded far more eagerly than she wanted to, and Brittany delved into her pocket excitedly, pulling out her phone and handing it to Santana.

"Put your number in here, then I'll text you and then we'll both have each other's numbers. Y'know, if that's okay, or whatever."

"Of course it's okay." Santana replied softly, letting her fingertips linger for a second longer on Brittany's hand as she took the phone from her.

She typed her number in, added her name, and then handed the phone back to Brittany.

"Thanks!" Brittany said, her mouth stretched into a wide smile. Santana beamed back, before waving one last time as she turned and walked away.

* * *

Santana reached her apartment quickly, not wanting to be late for her verbal 'meeting' with Blaine. She flopped down on her couch, waiting for her watch communicator to beep, signalling that she was being contacted. But, just as the clock changed to read 16:28, two minutes before her meeting was scheduled, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She pulled it out roughly, wondering who would be texting her – she didn't have many friends, thanks to her line of work.

**-Hey! Umm, it's Brittany here. But you probably already guessed that :P Anyway, I just wanted to say that I had a really great time with you today, and, umm, I hope we can do it again sometime. Maybe you can come over one day this week and we can watch a musical together? :D –B.**

Santana knew what she _should_ have done.

She should have told Brittany than she was busy, that she didn't have time, that she didn't think it was a good idea. Anything to stop them growing even closer than they had in one simple afternoon.

But she didn't.

Instead, her fingers began replying of their own accord, and had sent a text back before she even had time to fully register what she had said.

**-Hey Brittany. I had a great time today too; I was just disappointed that I had to leave so quickly. Yeah, that sounds awesome! How's Friday for you? I can bring Hairspray, Chicago, any film you want! You just make sure you get loads of popcorn ;) –S. **

She set her phone down on the coffee table, but it buzzed less than a minute later.

**-That sounds amazing! :D Okay, what flavour popcorn do you like best? –B.**

**-Hmm, I think I'd have to say sugary, 'cause it's so nice and sweet. –S**

**-Just like you then :) –B. **

Santana felt her stomach do an excited flip at the unanticipated compliment, and the thought of spending another day with Brittany.

But she kept trying to convince herself that she was just eager to complete her mission; she told herself that she was only getting closer to Brittany to get the diamonds back faster, but she knew that wasn't true.

She was falling for Brittany, and she knew it. She was falling hard.

Crap.

* * *

**Sorry I took a while to update, I've got A2 exams in about 2/3 weeks, so I've been studying for them quite a lot! **

**So yeah, the time periods between my updates are going to be slightly longer than usual, until my exams are over, but I will try to update as often as I possibly can.**

**Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying this fic so far, and remember, reviews make me a chipper lass, so don't be shy, let me know what you think! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

Santana stirred slowly, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of her bedroom. She sniffed groggily, rubbing her eyes and yawning deeply.

She vaguely registered a noise coming from her left, and glanced down to see her wristwatch communicator flashing and vibrating noisily. She huffed agitatedly, glancing over at her digital clock and groaning.

"Who the heck is beeping me at five in the morning?" she muttered, clearing her throat before pressing the 'Receive Transmission' button.

"Santana Lopez here."

"_Lopez."_

She recognised the gruff tone as belonging to none other than her boss, Blaine Anderson, and coughed once before answering quickly.

"Mr Anderson, sir. What, um, what can I do for you so early in the morning? Is there a problem?"

"_Well Santana, as __you__ very well know, I have yet to get those diamonds back. The reason I'm calling you so early is because the police are tapping into communications circuits all over the country, trying to uncover any leads that may take them to the thief, in this case, you. I thought it would be safer to call you at a relatively early hour, to avoid any danger."_

Santana breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I see. For a minute there sir, I thought I was in some kind of trouble." she joked, smiling a little.

"_Oh, you are."_

The harsh, dangerous tone in Blaine's voice made Santana's blood run cold.

"_You see Santana, the police are now aware that the diamond thief is still at large. This means they are digging through any past case studies, looking for any other thefts that may give them a clue as to who is behind this one. As long as the diamonds are out there, with you, they will keep looking. But the minute they are in my possession, I will be able to cover the trail indefinitely, until the police realise that they are getting nowhere and they give up. Alas, I can't do that yet, because you have not got them back to me."_

Santana gulped, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as Blaine continued talking.

"_I don't like being kept waiting, Lopez. So, my next request is simple. Get those diamonds back as soon as you next see the girl, or I will have to get them myself from your 'friend' Brittany's house. I already have her address, as I used your communicator to track you when you went to her home yesterday, so I'll have no trouble getting there. And make no mistake; I will not be as, shall I say, courteous as you have been with her, as I don't take kindly to having other people involved in my operations. In other words... I will kill her."_

The call ended suddenly with a resounding click, and Santana sat, frozen with fear, her heart racing at the thought of anything happening to Brittany. She knew she had to get those diamonds back, and she had to get them back fast. She began formulating a plan in her mind, and then, she knew what she was going to do.

Friday night, she was going to go to Brittany's, as they had planned. She was going to get those diamonds, and then, she was going to leave Blaine Anderson to do whatever he wanted with them. She didn't care about him, or being part of his criminal gang. There was only one thing she now cared about, and that one thing was Brittany.

* * *

Friday night rolled around, and Santana felt herself growing more nervous with each coming day. She thought it was the anticipation of having to get the diamonds back, but she knew there was more to it that that. She was nervous about seeing Brittany again. But... a good kind of nervous. The kind that gave her butterflies whenever she thought about the blonde, and the kind that made her leap around the room singing along to the Lion King soundtrack.

She stood in front of the mirror, frantically combing her hair and putting it in various styles, none of them seeming to be quite right.

'_Urgh, come on! Just do something with it, then leave it alone!' _she scolded herself, becoming more and more frustrated with each failed 'do.

Her phone then lit up, 'River Deep, Mountain High' blasting through the tinny speakers. She hummed along for a second, before striding over and opening her new text message.

**-Hey. Just checking that we're still on for tonight? :) –B.**

Santana had to fight to suppress the giant grin that wanted to spread over her face, before she gathered her thoughts and replied.

**-Yeah, totally! I'm just getting ready now. Although my hair is just not agreeing with me today! Seriously debating wearing a wig for the night... –S.**

She placed her phone back down on the dresser, but as she turned to continue her battle with her rebellious flowing tresses, it rang loudly once again.

**-Aw, I'm sure you could have the worse case of bed hair in the world and STILL look amazing. Anyway, can't wait to see you! Also, I have a surprise waiting for you... ;) –B.**

Santana's heart skipped a beat as she read the luminous, incredibly sweet words on the screen.

'_No point trying to reply to that. The girl's a freakin' poet when it comes to this stuff.' _she grumbled, although she couldn't help the smile that stayed on her face for the remainder of her preparation session in front of the mirror.

* * *

Santana got a cab over to the nicer part of Lima, but got out a few blocks away from Brittany's, deciding to walk the rest of the way because it was such a beautiful evening. She spent the few extra minutes giving herself a pep talk, in a futile attempt to calm her ever-growing nerves.

She reached Brittany's jaw-dropping garden, which took her breath away once again. She then took a deep breath and walked slowly up the path, feeling her palms grow slightly sweaty.

'_Phew. Okay Santana. You can do this. C'mon Lopez, it's not like this is some high-risk mission that you have to carry out under timed conditions. All you're doing is watching a movie with a girl, who just happens to be extremely attractive and oh-so-freakin' adorable. You. Can. Do. This.'_

She reached out, hand shaking, and pressed the doorbell, feeling a sense of déjà vu as the door was flung open and out ran Lord Tubbington, streaking over the grass like his fat little life depended on it.

"Santana!"

She was suddenly engulfed by a strong pair of arms, and pulled into a warm embrace. She resisted momentarily for a split second, before succumbing to Brittany's comforting touch, leaning into her and wrapping her own arms around the blonde's waist.

She inhaled, breathing in the delicious scent that was Brittany, and smiled contentedly. She could get used to this. Brittany then pulled back slightly, holding Santana's shoulders at arms length and smiling.

"Hey you." she smiled.

"Hey." Santana breathed.

"Come on in!" Brittany said, her face bright with excitement.

"Don't mind if I do." Santana replied smoothly, winking cheekily at Brittany before she walked gracefully into the hallway.

Brittany walked slowly behind Santana, then she reached out and wrapped her hand around Santana's wrist. The brunette turned, forehead wrinkled in confusion, as she watched Brittany curiously.

The blonde seemed to be enduring some form of inner battle, as she chewed her lip nervously and twiddled a strand of hair in her lithe fingers. She then locked gazes with Santana, breathed in deeply, and spoke.

"I'm really glad you could come tonight." she said sincerely, moving her hand down to brush Santana's hand. Santana felt her heart lurch, then she smiled back at Brittany, lacing their fingers together firmly.

"I'm really glad you invited me Britt."

Brittany then giggled unexpectedly.

"What's so funny?" Santana asked, smiling crookedly as she cocked her head to the side.

"You called me 'Britt'. I've never had a nickname before." Brittany answered shyly.

"Well then, I am honoured to have given you your first." Santana grinned. "Anyway, what's this surprise you have for me?" she exclaimed, racing into the living room eagerly. Brittany followed behind her, hot on her heels and laughing warmly.

"Okay, okay, slow down there San!" she breathed, stopping to flop down on the sofa and catch her breath. Santana plonked herself down next to Brittany, eyes bright and cheeks flushed, as she reached out to capture Brittany's hand in hers once again.

"Alright, I'm calm. Now will you please tell me what my surprise is? Pleeeeeeeease?" Santana pouted adorably, making her eyes wide and innocent.

"Okay, fine." Brittany huffed in mock-agitation, although a wide grin was present on her face. "I remember you saying how much you loved musicals, sooooo... I thought we could watch one tonight! Only if you want to, that is."

Santana clapped enthusiastically, nodding happily.

"Awesome! Okay, so I'm not sure how much you like this move, but it's one of my favourites, so I thought it would be nice if we watched it together. So, without further ado, the movie I selected for us tonight is... the Wizard of Oz!"

Santana froze for a second, before she beamed at Brittany and literally flung herself at the unsuspecting blonde, chattering away joyfully.

"Oh my god Britt, that is one of my all-time favourite movies, I watch it every Christmas! I love it! The music is amazing, and the ending, when Dorothy gets back to Kansas? It's just brilliant!"

She then drew back, holding both of Brittany's hands in her own, smiling warmly.

"Thank you Britt."

"You're welcome San." Brittany smiled, her heart racing as Santana leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

Brittany then stood up and strode across the room to enter the kitchen, quickly grabbing a bowl of popcorn and two cans of Coke. She came back into the living room, turning off the light, and then pattered across the room back to Santana, handing her a drink and placing the bowl on the coffee table in front of her. The Latina smiled affectionately at Brittany, and the blonde couldn't help but to giggle, feeling her face become tinged with pink.

Brittany then made her way over to the TV, opening the DVD player and sliding the movie in. She grabbed the remote from its place on top of a stack of magazines, then stood and walked gracefully back over to the sofa, settling down comfortably next to Santana. Brittany pressed Play, and both girls sat awkwardly for a moment, both unsure of what to do.

Santana then shuffled closer to Brittany, resting her head on the blonde's chest. Brittany smiled, before wrapping her arm around Santana's shoulders and drawing her even closer. Santana reached over with her other hand and laced their fingers together, then they both proceeded to watch the movie, happiness radiating from them like heat from a toasty warm radiator.

* * *

By the time the movie ended, Brittany found herself lying back on the couch, Santana practically on top of her with her right arm and leg draped over her, holding her tightly. Brittany could feel Santana's hot breath ghosting across her neck, which caused goose bumps to rise up and down her arms, as her breathing became slightly more jarred and shallow.

"Britt? What's up? Are you cold?" Santana asksed, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Brittany thought that this was a less embarrassing explanation for her sudden body change than the actual reason, so nodded timidly, the arm around Santana tightening its grip.

"Aww babe, come here!" Santana exclaimed, before literally wrapping herself around Brittany in a warm embrace, both arms firmly around the blonde's waist, her legs enveloping Brittany's. She then tilted her head up, and both girls suddenly realised how close to one another they had gravitated throughout the duration of the movie.

They gazed easily into each other's eyes, and Santana felt her breathing speed up as Brittany reached up with her left hand and brushed her thumb tenderly across Santana's tan cheek. Santana leaned into her touch, closing her eyes and letting out an almost imperceptible sigh of pleasure. She then stared deeply into Brittany's eyes, her expression a mixture of determination and nervousness. Brittany noticed this and took Santana's hand, rubbing it soothingly.

Santana then proceeded to prop herself up on her elbow, smiling slightly at Brittany's endearingly innocent expression.

Neither of them were prepared for what happened next.

Santana leaned forward suddenly, capturing Brittany's lips in a searing, heated kiss. Both girls let out a moan of pure ecstasy, as Santana ran her tongue along Brittany's lower lip, sucking gently on the soft flesh. Brittany then brought her hands to Santana's hair, tangling them in the soft tendrils and pulling gently, while Santana lifted herself so she was fully on top of Brittany, lying in between the blonde's legs as their kiss deepened and took on an air of something more.

Both girls noticed this, this change in the atmosphere. Santana pulled back gently, peppering Brittany's face and neck with light, gentle kisses. Brittany lay back, smiling blissfully, as Santana grinned down at her, noses almost touching.

"So, San. I've got a big double bed in there, and it's rather lonely in there all by myself. Fancy joining me for the night?" Brittany asked, her voice light yet sincere.

"I would love to Britt." Santana answered, her tone thick with honesty and happiness.

She then clambered off of Brittany, standing up and pulling the blonde to her feet in one swift movement.

"Race you to the bedroom!" Brittany yelled, before she ran to the stairs, Santana following, both girls tripping and stumbling as they attempted to control their laughter. They both barrelled into Brittany's room, and Santana had to take a minute to appreciate the sheer beauty of it.

The large, inviting double bed, with its powder blue cover and its array of stuffed animals and comfy cushions; the magazines and DVD's stacked in a bookcase next to the large window; the closet, with the door half open, filled to the brim with unique and fascinating clothes, all which were so obviously Brittany.

"Do you like it?" Brittany ventured bashfully.

"I love it." Santana breathed, before she walked over to Brittany and took her hand, leading her over to the bed.

Both girls fell into the splendour of the cushions and toys, giggling as they threw all unwanted items onto the floor haphazardly. Brittany then straddled Santana, kissing up and down her jaw, eliciting a groan of approval from the brunette.

Santana tilted her head to the side as Brittany went to work on her pulse point, and noticed something that made her pause for a second. The bag. The bag that Brittany had been holding the day she had lost the diamonds. It was sitting in the corner of the room, obviously untouched by Brittany since she used it the other day. Santana's train of thought was soon interrupted by Brittany running her hands up and down her toned stomach, but before she succumbed entirely to the pleasure coursing through her body, she promised herself one thing.

Tomorrow morning, she would retrieve the diamonds. She would get them to Blaine, and then she would leave him and never look back. Then she would come back here, to Brittany, and stay here with the girl who gave her life a new meaning.

Well, that was the plan anyway.

* * *

**I am SO sorry for the ridiculously long wait for this chapter, as I said, I have been really busy with revising, and I will be unfortunately until my exams are over in a month's time. On the plus side, you guys got a nice big bunch of fluff in this chapter, which I hope made up for the wait! ^^**

**I know it seems like things have slowed down a bit in this fic, but that's because I wanted to focus more on the development of the relationship between Santana and Brittany. Now that that's done, there will be more of a focus once again on Santana and her mission. There will also be some angst –as always– but hey, we all need a little angst sometimes, right?**

**Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed/favourited/alerted this fic so far, especially SGAFirenity,**** you don't know just how much that means to me. I hope you are all enjoying this fic so far, it's been really fun for me to write! :D And don't be afraid to let me know what you think! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, exams are now upon me and I'm busier than Sue Sylvester during cheerleading try-outs! But I managed to find some time between revision to update, I think I owe it to all of you amazing readers who have been following this fic, even though my updates are getting slower :( Anyway, enough of this sappy nonsense. On with the ficery!**

* * *

Santana rolled over slowly, stifling a yawn as she blinked dazedly, her eyelids heavy. She stretched gently, hearing her back make a satisfying clicking noise, before she began to register where she was. She was in Brittany's house. In her bed. She was lying next to Brittany. It took a moment for the sleep-induced haze to retract from her brain as this sunk in, but when it did, she couldn't help but to smile happily. She glanced over at the sleeping blonde, who was splayed out on her back, one arm stretched out beside her. This was the arm that had been wrapped around Santana as she had fallen asleep, feeling more content than she had in a long time.

Santana spent a minute or two just gazing at Brittany's sleeping form, memorising every aspect of her, drinking her in with her eyes. Her soft, pink lips, which were curled up into the faintest hint of a smile. Her kind, deep blue eyes, which Santana could imagine just by closing her eyes. Her toned, mouth-watering stomach, which Santana had been ogling over all night.

She began to smirk at memories of last night; it was a jumbled, heated blur, with a few moments standing out; Brittany making love to Santana for the first time; Santana caressing all of Brittany's body, Brittany moaning at her touch; gasps and sighs of ecstasy, mingled with breathy moans and sweet nothings murmured into awaiting ears. Yep, last night had been good.

But then, Santana remembered why she had set her wristwatch communicator to vibrate and wake her up early. She remembered why she had come to Brittany's in the first place. She remembered the reason that she even knew Brittany at all. Those fucking diamonds. She was sick of them and what they represented. The old Santana. The mean, heartless cruel Santana. The Santana who stole from innocent people, which, now that she thought about, was completely pointless and stupid.

"No. I'm never going to be that person again." she muttered vehemently.

She promised herself that after this last mission, that was it. She was going to turn in her gun, tell Blaine she was leaving, and never look back. She wanted to be with Brittany. That was all she wanted now.

But first. The diamonds.

Santana glanced over at Brittany again, checking she hadn't woken her, but the blonde was still fast asleep, breathing heavily, her face serene and content. Santana smiled gently, tracing her fingers ever so lightly across Brittany's cheek, like butterfly wings fluttering across the softest grass. She then sat up, running her fingers through her hair and taking a deep breath.

'_You can do this.' _She thought to herself firmly. '_All you need to do is reach into her bag, get those annoying shiny rocks, put them in your bag, then get back into bed.'_

She grinned as she began thinking of inventive, unconventional ways of waking Brittany up, as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. There was a slight chill in the air, as it was still pretty early in the morning, and she was shivering due to the fact that she was only wearing her underwear, so she grabbed Brittany's oversized yellow duck cardigan off the doorknob and put it on, wrapping it securely around her lithe frame. Then, she made her way silently over to Brittany's bag, thanking her training for teaching her how to move around without making virtually any noise whatsoever. She began rooting through the bag, removing a purse, a notebook, a small sketchpad, and there, at the bottom of the bag, was a brown paper sack. She did a little victory dance in her head, grabbing the bag and spinning around excitedly, searching the room with her eyes, trying to locate her own bag.

She saw it, still in the corner from where she had plunked it last night. She made her way forward, planning on shoving the diamonds in quickly, and then climbing back into bed and getting her cuddle on with Brittany. But, what she hadn't anticipated was the arrival of Lord Tubbington at that very moment. The fat cat had obviously slunk in and fallen asleep under Brittany's bed at some point, and Santana must have roused him from his sleep unknowingly. Santana didn't have any idea that the cat was in the room, so when he bolted out from under the bed, crashing into her legs and then blindly galloping into the hallway, she couldn't help the startled shriek that escaped from her mouth. She also didn't mean to fling her arms up in the air as the cat barrelled into her, but she did, and when she did, the bag she had been holding so carefully was thrown into the air, where it then landed on the floor with a loud clatter, diamonds spilling everywhere.

"Shit!" Santana cursed under her breath, scrambling to pick up the diamonds before Brittany woke up and wanted to know what all the noise was. But it was too late.

"San?" came a timid little voice, floating out from the bed.

"Uhh, yeah baby?" Santana answered, her voice shaking, her eyes wide with panic.

She almost had all of the diamonds, she just had to reach and get the few that were scattered on the faded rug under the window, just those few…

"What are you doing?"

Santana looked up, frozen with fear.

Brittany was sitting up in bed, her brow creased in confusion. Her eyes surveyed the scene in front of her; her bag, moved from its position in the corner of the room; Santana, pawing at the floor desperately; little shiny jewels scattered across her rug, glinting in the early morning sunlight that shimmered through the net curtains.

"Umm, what… what are those?" Brittany pointed to the diamonds, her expression a mixture of worry and suspicion. "And why did you move my bag? And what was all that noise earlier?"

Santana could see Brittany getting more and more worked up in her confusion, so she stood up and crossed the room quickly, sitting on the bed beside Brittany and taking her hand.

She took a deep breath and locked gazes with Brittany, hoping to convey how sincere she was, and how much she regretted all of this.

"Okay. So, I haven't been completely honest with you."

Brittany raised one eyebrow, motioning for Santana to continue. The brunette then stood up and began pacing back and forth, wringing her hands nervously.

"You know how I told you that I'm, uh, between jobs at the moment? Well, that wasn't true. I do have a job. A job that pays quite well, actually. But… it's not a… regular job. Not like working in a store or a cinema or something. Um…"

"Oh, come on San!" Brittany sighed in exasperation, as she too stood up, facing Santana with her arms crossed over her chest. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not THAT bad. So just tell me."

Santana took in a huge gulp of air, fighting to stop her hands from shaking with terror, then blurted out, "I am a criminal who steals large amounts of money for multinational corporations and my latest mission was to obtain these diamonds, but they fell into your bag that day we met and so I've been trying to get them back."

Santana hung her head in shame, too embarrassed and guilty to look Brittany in the eye now that she had confessed the truth. When she did finally glance up, she was taken aback by the intensity of the expression on Brittany's face. She looked livid. Her eyes were blazing, her mouth set in a hard line.

"Oh Britt, don't be angry!" Santana pleaded, reaching out to touch Brittany's cheek.

But Brittany swatted her hand away as if it was nothing but a pesky fly, causing a pang of pain to ripple through Santana's heart.

"You mean to tell me… you've just been _pretending_ to like me all this time, just so you could get your stupid bag of expensive rocks back?"

Brittany's voice was cold, steady, but Santana detected an undertone of hurt under the surface.

"No! I mean, yes, at first I was, but not anymore!"

"Oh!" Brittany exclaimed, "Well then! I guess that makes everything okay!" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Come on Britt, don't be like that! I admit, at the beginning, I was just trying to get the diamonds back. But that was before I got to know you, before I started… falling for you."

Brittany snorted incredulously, before replying,

"How can I trust anything you say now? How do I know you're not just telling more lies?"

"Because I'm not! Brittany, you have to understand, these past few days with you, they've been the happiest days I remember for a long time. When I'm with you, I feel so peaceful, so content, and I just, I want to be around you all the time. I couldn't fake this, believe me, you mean so much to m-"

"JUST STOP IT! Stop lying to me!" Brittany yelled, tears pooling in her eyes. "Hearing you say this stuff now, all it does it make me hurt more. Because I don't know if any of what has happened between us was real, or if you were just putting it on! And you're a CRIMINAL? I mean, what the fuck is up with that?"

"But Brittany, you don't understand, I HAD to get these diamonds back, or Blaine would have ki-"

"I DON'T CARE! I don't care if you would have lost your job, or money, or whatever. I just don't care." Brittany said, her tone defeated and crushed. "Just leave, Santana."

"Brittany, wait-"

"Leave! Just, please. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Santana reached out, as if to console Brittany, but the blonde recoiled aggressively, as if the mere thought of Santana touching her made her sick. Santana slowly dropped her hand, crestfallen, and turned, pulling on her sweatpants, picking up her bag and walking quietly out of the room. She tried to hold back her tears, which were threatening to spring free from her eyes at any moment, and managed to get halfway up the road before collapsing on a grassy bank to her left, bringing her knees up and cradling them, sobbing brokenly, her heart aching desperately.

After a while, she stood up, trying to compose herself as best as she could in her current state. She made her way to the main road and hailed a cab, staring out of the window dejectedly for the duration of the journey. When she got back to her apartment, she threw her bag onto the couch and headed straight for the bedroom. She crawled under the covers and curled into a ball, still wrapped up in Brittany's soft yellow cardigan. She whimpered for a while, weeping, her heart shattered into pieces. She eventually managed to drift off, grateful to be escaping into the less painful world of imaginings and conceptions. But, what she forgot to realise, was that the unconscious realm is not always the land of pleasant dreams; sometimes, it is the place that creates your worst nightmares.

* * *

_Santana's head whipped round. She heard it again. That piercing scream, so full of pain, so full of heartbreak. She followed the sound frantically, trying to find whatever, whoever, was making it, to help them, somehow. She neared an old rock quarry, and the screams became noticeably clearer. She raced forward, stopping on a ledge that overlooked the deep hole ahead of her. She dropped to her knees, gripping the edge of the ledge, peering over it hesitantly._

_She looked down, and saw Brittany, who was perched on a ledge further down along the wall of the quarry. She attempted to shout, to get Brittany to notice her, but she seemed incapable of making any sounds. She then noticed Brittany's face; she looked distraught, traumatised, as her eyes fixated on a point opposite her, across the quarry. Santana trained her eyes on Brittany's, trying to follow the blonde's panicked gaze. She saw a figure, suspended above the quarry, her body bound with ropes. Upon closer inspection, Santana observed the figure, and gasped when she realised who it was. She was staring at… herself?_

_And then she saw the rope that was holding her own body up being lowered deeper into the quarry. She heard the rumble of rocks scraping on each other, and looked up, spotting a truck carrying a vast amount of boulders. The truck was reversing, and then the back door suddenly swung open, releasing the rocks. They crashed down, the sounds echoing around the hollow rock vault. Brittany let out another piercing scream, as she began wailing hysterically, chanting Santana's name, to no avail. _

_Santana tried to move from her position up on the ledge, tried to do something, but as she turned to find a way to Brittany, she was met with the cruel gaze of the truck driver. It was Blaine. He began cackling manically, head thrown back in ecstasy, as he watched Santana scrabbling around, trying to get to her love, to tell her she was okay. _

_Blaine suddenly grabbed her, yanking her up by her hair, to whisper menacingly in her ear._

"_You'll never get her back. You've lost her forever."_

Santana sat up abruptly, her face covered in a light sheen of sweat, a strangled, tormented cry bursting out from within her. She was shaking violently, still trying to convince herself that it was just a dream.

She knew what she had to do. The next day, she had to go and tell Brittany that she was genuinely sorry for everything that had happened, and that nothing would make her happier than spending the rest of her life with her. And then, she was going to give Blaine his diamonds, and tell him that she wanted nothing more to do with him.

She nodded resolutely as she took a deep breath, and began formulating a plan in her head to somehow get Brittany to talk to her again, so she could straighten out this whole mess once and for all.

* * *

**Leave a review, you know you want to! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

Santana awoke bright and early, the sound of her alarm buzzing loudly in her ear. She grumbled as she tumbled out of her warm, inviting bed, out of habit, but then smiled when she remembered why she had decided to get up this early on a Sunday. Her smile was the accompanied by a flutter of nervous butterflies in her stomach, as she gulped and began to plan her outfit for what she called her 'Brittany-vention' day.

"Okay, here goes." she muttered to herself, as she began rifling through her ample closet. "Find something that says: I'm sorry for being the biggest idiot in the world, but still looks super hot. Let's see..."

She began humming softly to herself, and smirked once she realised that she had been humming 'Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!' from the Wizard of Oz, which she very distinctly remembered Brittany belting out along with Dorothy as they watched the movie the other night.

'_Damn San. You are soooooo whipped.' _taunted a little voice inside her head.

'_Shut up.' _she retorted curtly, while holding up different outfits against her body and observing them in the mirror.

She tried a montage of different clothes; she felt like she was in one of those 80's movies where everything is sped up and they try clothes on at a really fast pace.

Denim hot pants and a white tank top? Too slutty-mechanic.

Sensible black trousers and a pale blue shirt? Too office-worker.

Leopard print leggings with a fitted black top and a fluffy sleeveless fur jacket? Too classy-hooker.

In the end, she went with a pair of sleek black jeans, which hugged her body in all the right places and accentuated her mouth-watering curves, and a silky, loose-fitting top that hung comfortably on her slender torso, framing her breasts perfectly. She then pulled on her favourite black boots, before making her way back over to the mirror.

She checked herself over, nodding in approval at the outfit she had finally chosen.

"Okay, now time for my hair." she murmured, eyeing the various hair products that littered her vanity table. Normally she would go all-out with her hair on an occasion like this – not that she apologised to women very often – tousling it and dousing it in hairspray, combing it into an array of extravagant styles, experimenting with curls and fringes, but today, she decided to go for a more natural look, leaving it down so it flowed around her shoulders in soft, beautiful waves.

In a way, she supposed it was a representation for how she felt about Brittany, almost an accidental, poetic metaphor; while the majority of her past relationships had been short, fickle, and meaningless, what she had with Brittany was real; she could just be herself when she was with the blonde, she didn't have to hide behind any false facades or shield who she really was.

'_Okay, now you're more whipped than fresh cream.' _her inner voice teased.

But this time, she didn't even try to deny it.

* * *

Santana raced around her apartment, not wanting to waste any more time, time that she could be spending apologising to Brittany. She grabbed her bag, making sure she had her purse, newly purchased lipstick, and any other bits and bobs she may need. She wolfed down a bowl of cereal, washed it down with a glass of orange juice, then dashed to the door, grabbing her keys from the shelf and shutting the door behind her with a loud bang that echoed around the apartment.

She rushed down the stairs two at a time, not wanting to have to stand around waiting for an elevator. She nodded politely at the man who owned the taco shop as she passed him, who waved and greeted Santana with a warm smile.

She emerged into the street, surprised at the warmth that emanated through the air. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the pleasant aroma of newly cut grass, infused with the scent of freshly ground coffee and warm pastry from the bakery across the road.

She was about to whistle for a cab, when an unfamiliar stall a few shops down caught her eye. It was a garden ornament store, and from the gleaming sign and the spotless windows, she came to the conclusion that it was a brand new shop. Santana thought about it for a split second, and then ran to the shop, bursting in and raking her eyes over the vast, colourful displays. Her breath caught in her throat for a second, as she surveyed the beauty of the ornaments that she was greeted with.

"Wow." she breathed, momentarily stunned into silence.

"Hi there. Can I help you find something?" said a voice, floating over from behind a tall display of beautiful pixies. A young man appeared from behind the shelves, smiling warmly while flicking his hair out of his face in an almost feminine gesture. "I'm Kurt Hummel, the owner of this fine establishment. What can I do for you?"

He winked cheekily, and Santana couldn't help but to grin back at the endearing young man.

"Hey. I'm Santana. This, uh, this may sound a bit strange, but I need an ornament that one might give to a... girlfriend. As a gift."

Kurt's eyebrows rose slightly, and he smiled knowingly, beckoning Santana forward with his hand.

"Ah yes. I think I have just the thing. Follow me darling!" he proclaimed dramatically, with a flourish of his hand.

Santana chuckled at the theatrical tone in Kurt's voice, as she followed him towards a display to the right of the store.

"Okay. Here we go. Now, here you will find a rather mixed bag of ornaments, from gnomes to Nomads, but if I am correct... Aha! I thought so. Here is something that may fit what you are looking for."

Kurt reached in towards the back of the display, rummaging around for a few seconds until he withdrew a very peculiar looking ornament. It was about 20 centimetres tall, and was of a powerful-looking woman holding a weapon of some sort.

"Now this is not a very commonly-known ornament, but it is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever seen. She is Freya, a Viking Norse goddess. She is considered to be the goddess of love and beauty, but is also a warrior goddess and one of great wisdom and magic. The cat is her sacred symbol."

Santana froze for a second; unable to believe how perfect this ornament was for Brittany. Kurt observed her curiously, waiting to see what she thought of this rare yet fascinating work of art.

"It's perfect." Santana whispered, as she gazed at the figurine in awe, studying Freya's flowing white gown, her elegant body, her radiant, striking face. "I'll take it."

Kurt grinned happily, as he made his way back towards the front of the quaint little shop, shuffling behind the counter as he placed Freya gently on top of it.

"Would you like me to gift wrap it? Free of charge." Kurt stated generously, earning a beaming grin from Santana.

"That would be wonderful. Thanks Kurt."

He giggled proudly as he swathed the ornament in silky, purple wrapping paper, tying it up at the top with a thin, gold ribbon. He then looked back up at Santana, his eyes bright and friendly.

"Okay, so that'll be fifteen dollars please."

Santana handed him a twenty dollar bill, but as he motioned to return her change, she shook her head gently.

"Keep the change." she said kindly.

She turned, giving Kurt a wave as she pulled open the door, but, just as she was about to exit the shop, she turned back to the delicate young man one more time.

"Maybe you could use the change from that twenty to buy a cup of coffee for that cute guy that runs the bookstore across the street?" she said, grinning cheekily.

Kurt clapped a hand over his mouth, giggles tumbling out at Santana's bold words, as the Latina winked at him and left the store, hailing a cab and climbing in as they begun to weave through the traffic, her face dominated by a wide smile.

Her encounter with the charming Kurt Hummel had left her in high spirits, and she felt confident that, with enough sincerity, honesty, and perhaps a little of that Santana Lopez charm, she could win back Brittany's trust, and in turn win back her heart.

* * *

She arrived at Brittany's roughly twenty minutes later, paying the driver and even leaving him a little tip. She strode up the path to Brittany's front door purposefully, determined to make things right with the blonde.

Before she pressed the bell, she reached into her bag and pulled out the statuette.

"Okay, Norse goddess Freya. Let's see how powerful you really are." she muttered to the model, gripping it tightly in her hand.

She reached up with a shaking hand and pressed the lollipop bell, hearing the loud ring reverberate beyond the confines of the door. She took a few deep, steadying breaths, swallowing to try and calm her nerves. As she heard slow footsteps approaching the door, she felt a few beads of sweat break out on her forehead, and couldn't help comparing it to Blaine's gelled, slicked-back hair. She shook her head stubbornly, attempting to get all thoughts of Blaine out of her head for the time being.

The door then opened slowly, and Santana straightened up, preparing to deliver the honest, heartfelt speech she had spent most of the previous night preparing.

"Hi Brittany. Look, I know you're mad, but-"

"Who are you?" enquired an unfamiliar voice.

Santana's head whipped up, startled to hear a voice that didn't belong to Brittany.

Instead, she was met with a different blonde. She had short hair, cut into a choppy, careless style. Her eyes were a gorgeous hazel colour, and she had delicate features that resembled that of a pixie. Santana couldn't help thinking that the girl looked like she could be one of the ornaments that adorned Brittany's garden, but quickly stopped her train of thought, focusing on the unexpected stranger in front of her.

"I, uh, my name's Santana. Who are you?" Santana asked warily.

"I'm Quinn. A friend of Brittany's." she replied. "Wait a minute..."

Quinn's eyes widened as she fully registered Santana's name.

"You're not the girl who...? Wow, you've got some nerve coming here. After all you've put her though! I think you should just leave."

Quinn moved quickly to close the door, but Santana's hand shot out, preventing it from shutting completely.

"No! Please, please just, give me chance to talk to her! I need to talk to her, PLEASE!"

Quinn could hear the raw desperation in Santana's voice, and faltered for a second. Santana took this as an opportunity to beg Quinn, to plead for her indulgence for just a second.

"Please, you have no idea how much she means to me. Look, I know I hurt her, and I know it's going to be a while before she'll be able to trust me again. But you have to understand... I've never cared about anyone before, like I care about Brittany. She makes me happy in ways I didn't even know were possible. And I know, at the beginning it wasn't real. But it is now. Why do you think I'm here? I've already got... what I needed. If that was all I wanted, then why would I come back? Please, I need to speak to her, to explain. Please."

Quinn sighed heavily, and moved back slightly, as if to let Santana in. But, she was stopped by a small voice coming from behind her.

"Did you really mean that?"

Santana's eyes zipped to the right, following the soft sound of Brittany's voice that had floated out to caress her ears. The blonde walked forward slowly, swathed in a pink dressing gown with her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, emerging into the sunlight to stand beside Quinn in the hallway.

Santana's heart leapt as she saw Brittany, her hands shaking with a mixture of fear and pure joy.

She nodded firmly, and then bit her lip, waiting to see if Brittany would even agree to talk to her.

"It's okay Quinn. Let her in." Brittany said quietly, as Santana felt her heart soar.

The brunette crossed the threshold timidly, feeling Quinn's suspicious gaze as it bore into her back.

Meanwhile, Brittany had retreated into the living room, so Quinn motioned with a curt nod of her head for Santana to follow, while the wary blonde made her way upstairs, to give the girls some privacy.

As Santana entered the living room, she saw Brittany perched on the armchair below the window, her knees tucked up with her arms wrapped around them. The sight of Brittany looking so broken made the Latina's heart ache, and Santana just wanted to gather Brittany up in her arms and hold her, but she knew she couldn't, not until she had made things right.

"Hey." Santana spoke softly, as she sat on the sofa, placing her hands in her lap and facing Brittany.

"Hi." Brittany whispered, not making eye contact with Santana, instead choosing to stare at the floor.

Santana realised that this was going to be lot harder than she thought. Brittany might have let her in – and stopped Quinn from killing her – but this didn't mean the blonde was going to forgive her right away.

"I've missed you." Santana stated truthfully.

Brittany could hear the genuineness in Santana's voice, and fidgeted uncomfortably, torn between keeping up her angry persona or just admitting that she had missed Santana too. But she knew that she couldn't give in that easily, and so settled for a noncommittal noise of agreement.

Santana appreciated Brittany's reaction; at least a grunt of recognition was better than getting nothing at all. She stood up, clutching Freya in her right hand, and made her way over to Brittany, slowly crouching down until she was on her knees, gazing up at the blonde beseechingly, imploring her to listen.

"Look Britt, I know that it's going to take a lot for me to convince you just how awful I feel about all this, how sorry I am and how much I wish... I wish you would just look at me."

Brittany could hear how destroyed Santana sounded, and knew she wasn't just making this up.

"But, I got you this, to show, I don't know, to show that I do care about you, and that this hasn't all just been a lie. I know it's not much, but, when I saw it, I thought of you."

Santana raised her hand, bringing up the statue and holding it upright on the arm of the couch.

"It may seem a little lame, but, uh, she's a goddess. A Viking goddess. Her name's Freya. She, uh, she's the goddess of love and beauty, and, oh crap, what else did Kurt say? Oh yeah, uh, and she has great wisdom, and can do magic. And her sacred symbol is a cat."

Santana smiled slightly, pleased for remembering most of what Kurt had told her, and then locked gazes with Brittany, anticipating her reaction.

Brittany tried to maintain her nonchalant expression, she really did, but she couldn't help it; she smiled the tiniest of smiles, in spite of herself, and Santana felt her hopes rise just slightly.

"I, uh, I got her for you. For your garden. I noticed you didn't have anything like this, so I thought you would like it."

"I do." whispered Brittany, and Santana couldn't help imagining the words in a different setting, perhaps with the two of them in a church, draped in white, standing under a majestic arch...

"Um, well, good." Santana said, letting out a tiny breath of relief.

She took one last, deep breath, and then began to speak from the bottom of her heart.

"Brittany, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for lying, for deceiving you, for getting you involved in something that you shouldn't be involved in. I just, I was so focused on getting the diamonds back, but then I started falling for you. And then, I didn't care about the diamonds any more. I just wanted you. But then my boss said he would... you would be in danger if I didn't get the diamonds back to him. So I knew I had to, but then you caught me, and we had that horrible fight, and, and..."

Santana had begun to cry, emitting small, choking sobs, which rendered her unable to speak clearly.

Brittany couldn't take it any more, this cold, uncaring facade becoming impossible to maintain, as she witnessed Santana's pain. She sunk to the floor next to Santana and cradled the distraught Latina in her arms, stroking her back tenderly.

"Shh, it's okay." she soothed.

"No, it's not." Santana cried. "Because all this time, you thought I didn't care for you, when in fact, I do care for you. I care for you a lot. These past few days have been torture, not being able to see you or speak to you, and all I've wanted to do is call you and kiss you and tell you how much I love you-"

Santana stopped talking abruptly, gasping as the reality of her words sunk in. Brittany, meanwhile, had momentarily stopped her rubbing motions on Santana's back as she took in her words.

"...What?"

Santana then sat up, sniffing resolutely and meeting Brittany's astonished gaze. She took the blonde's hand in her own, then nodded, smiling as the truth dawned on her.

"I... I'm in love with you, Brittany." she whispered, the words feeling so natural, so right. "It's taken me this long to see it, but now that I do... I know. I love you. I love you so much, Brittany Pierce."

Brittany couldn't fight it; she broke into a huge grin and embraced Santana, pulling her close so their bodies were meshed together.

"I'm sorry too. Sorry I was so quick to judge you, and write you off. Because, honestly, not being with you was unbearable for me too, San. I've liked you ever since the moment I saw you, when you literally crashed into my life."

Both girls giggled at the memory.

"And I love you too, Santana Lopez."

Brittany gazed at Santana, a twinkle in her eye, as she cupped the Latina's face in her hands. She licked her lips, and Santana followed her tongue with her eyes, wanting nothing more than to feel those moist lips on hers. Her wish was soon granted, as Brittany leaned forward slowly, inch by inch, until Santana couldn't take it anymore and closed the gap, pressing their lips together slowly.

The kiss spoke of everything they were feeling; joy, relief, love.

Everything that they were too afraid to say yet, or that they didn't know how to put into words, was being communicated in that kiss.

Santana began to move her lips gently, massaging Brittany's lips with her own, pleased when she heard the blonde let out a tiny moan. Brittany moved her hands to rest on Santana's hips, rolling her thumbs over Santana's hipbones gently, eliciting a mew of pleasure from the brunette.

They were so wrapped up in each other, they failed to hear the light tread of footsteps descending the stairs.

"Hey Britt, I just thought I'd come down and make sure everything was alri- WHOA!"

Quinn had sauntered in, but was soon halted by the scene in front of her.

Santana and Brittany sprung apart, Santana averting her gaze with her cheeks flushing red, while Brittany smiled at Quinn sheepishly.

"Heyyyyyyy Quinn." Brittany wheedled, trying to coax a smile out of her friend.

"Don't 'Hey Quinn' me. Jeez, you could at least give a girl some warning before she has to walk in on you two macking on each other."

Brittany giggled a little at this, which broke though Quinn's icy demeanour, as she too smiled a little. But her gaze turned stern as she turned it upon Santana.

"Now, listen here Sparky. I have been best friends with Brittany for as long as I can remember. This means I am fiercely protective of her, like a mother lion is with her cub. So be warned: if you EVER hurt her again, I will proceed to destroy you. We clear?" she smiled sweetly, as Santana stared at her, wide-eyed and a tiny bit intimidated.

"Crystal." Santana replied, nodding as she stroked Brittany's arm lovingly.

"Good." Quinn retorted, before retreating into the kitchen and rummaging through the fridge.

Santana and Brittany giggled at Quinn quietly, before Santana became serious and locked gazes with Brittany, her chocolate brown eyes sombre and rife with determination.

"Okay Britt. There's just one thing I have to do before we can be together properly."

She swallowed audibly, trying to get rid of the nervous lump that had formed in her throat as she thought of what she had to do.

"I have to go and give the diamonds back to Blaine. Then I'm going to tell him that I want nothing more to do with him, and that I'm leaving my life of crime to be with you. Because that's all I want now. To be with you."

Brittany thought about it for a second, then nodded agreeably, deciding that Santana was being honest with her.

"Okay."

Santana let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and smiled gratefully, pulling Brittany in for one more kiss.

"Alright. I have to go and call Blaine; we can't see him unless we make an appointment. Then, as soon as I'm done, I'll come right back to you tonight. I promise."

Santana gripped Brittany's hand for a second, before letting go and standing up, making her way towards the door. From behind her, she heard the faintest of whispers.

"I love you Santana. Be safe."

"I love you too Brittany. And I will."

* * *

Santana rushed home, urging the cab driver to go faster every few minutes, much to his irritation.

The moment she reached her apartment, she flung open the door of the cab, threw some money at the bewildered driver, and raced up the stairs, eager to sort everything out and get back to Brittany.

She unlocked her door with an almost superhuman speed, barrelling in and searching for her phone. She located it, buried under a pile of clothes, and pulled it out, hurriedly scrolling down the address book until she found 'Mr Anderson'. She pressed the Call button, and waited impatiently, tapping her foot and jangling her keys anxiously.

"_Hello, Blaine Anderson here."_

"Sir! Hello, Mr Anderson, it's Agent Lopez here."

"_Ah, Santana. It's been a while since we last spoke. I hope this is not yet another complication with the acquisition of the diamonds. I told you what would happen if I don't get them back..."_

"No, sir, nothing like that!" she exclaimed, in a hurry to get this over with. "Actually sir, I have the diamonds."

She paused for a second, waiting with baited breath.

"_Excellent." _

She could hear the satisfied tone in Blaine's voice and felt relief wash over her.

"So, I was thinking I could bring them to you as soon as possible, and also, I, uh, I need to talk to you about something."

"_Bring them to my office at Headquarters in an hour's time. Don't be late. And Lopez?"_

"Yes boss?"

"_This had better be good."_

* * *

**Wow. I think that may have been the longest chapter I have ever written. It was so much fun to write though! :D Also, a few of you may have noticed that I don't put the Author Note at the start of the chapter anymore; that's just because I think it's better to launch straight into the story, then add in all my mumbo-jumbo at the end ^^**

**Anyway, I hope all of you readers enjoyed this chapter, and I must say, a MASSIVE thank you to all of you who have alerted/favourited this fic, that just means so much to me. **

**Also, don't be shy, drop a review letting me know what you thought! I'd also like to hear opinions on Quinn, and what you guys thought of her and her feisty attitude ;D **

**So yeah, I hope you're all liking this fic so far, and stay awesome! **


	7. Chapter 7

Santana hurried to get ready, changing into her fitted blazer and slim black trousers, and then scraping her hair back into a neat bun. She surveyed herself in the mirror, wiping away the small smudges of lipstick that had smeared around her mouth earlier. She touched her lip lightly and smiled, remembering the way Brittany's lips had felt against hers, so soft, so warm. But she didn't have time to reminisce; right now, she had to get to Blaine, give him back the damn diamonds, and then tell him she was done with him, with all of this. She didn't want to pursue this lifestyle anymore; the only thing she wanted to do now was to be with Brittany, and that was it.

She faced herself in the mirror one last time, giving herself a satisfied nod as she deemed herself acceptable for her meeting with Blaine. She grabbed her bag, stuffing her gun into the bottom of it along with the diamonds, meaning to give both back to Blaine and then get the hell out of there.

Santana then exited her apartment, making her way down the stairs briskly. As she once again walked through the taco shop that she lived above, for the second time that day, the owner looked at her quizzically.

"You're very busy today, Miss Lopez." he stated, his accent curious but friendly.

"Yes, Mr Martinez! So much to do, so little time." she replied warmly, flashing him a brief smile as she continued towards the door, shuffling out and hailing the first taxi she saw. She didn't give the driver the exact address of Blaine's office – she would certainly be in trouble if anyone found out the location – but instead directed him to a road a few blocks away. They arrived there twenty minutes later, and Santana hurriedly handed the driver some money, checking her watch anxiously.

"Phew." she muttered to herself, "Still got fifteen minutes."

She smoothed down her blazer, and then made her way up to the intimidating building that towered above her menacingly. She gulped slightly, but shook her head, determined not to let a big fancy building shake her.

She walked up to the large glass doors, which were tinted black so you could only see out of them. She pressed the buzzer to her left, and a voice came through the speaker:

"_State your name and your business here."_

Santana recognised the voice of Sugar, the receptionist that Blaine had hired a while ago. She cleared her throat, before replying,

"Santana Lopez, First in Command. I have a meeting scheduled with Mr Anderson."

"_Oh, hi Santana!" _Sugar squeaked. _"Okay, come on in."_

Santana couldn't help but to grin a little at the excited tone in the girl's voice; she had always had a soft spot for Sugar, she wasn't sure why; they just connected on the girl's first day and now she was one of theonly people Santana actually considered to be her friend.

She pushed open the heavy door, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness of the foyer. She had only been into Headquarters a few times in the past, and although she hated to admit it, the majestic building took her breath away every time.

She took a minute to marvel at its grandeur, swivelling her head around to take it all in. The floor was swathed in white marble, sprinkled with dashes of black. The walls were also white, although they were pure white, with occasional red lines interrupting the block of colour and adding a splash of decadence. In each corner of the room stood a large white marble pillar, ensconced in red velvet ribbon.

She then brought herself out of her reverie, silently cursing Blaine for having such impressive artistic talent, then made her way over to the desk that was occupied by Sugar.

The girl was petite, with a striking, pretty face, framed with brown hair that was teased into light curls. She was known for her kooky yet stylish fashion sense, and right now was wearing purple trousers and black knee-high boots, with a fitted white top and a purple feather boa around her neck. She heard the sound of approaching footsteps and glanced up, grinning when she saw Santana walking towards her.

"Santana!" she exclaimed happily, jumping up out of her chair and scurrying around her desk to hug Santana warmly. The Latina hugged her back tightly, smiling as she pulled back, softly tapping Sugar's nose with her finger and murmuring "Boop!", something that always made the younger girl giggle.

Sugar laughed delightedly, before composing herself and returning to her seat calmly, remembering that she had to act professionally.

"So, Santana, you said you've got a meeting with Blaine today?"

Santana nodded as she waited for Sugar to tell her where to go, while the young woman checked her computer for instructions on where to send Santana.

"Okay, here we go. Blaine is in his office, so just go right on up. Top floor, room 17."

"Thanks Sugar." Santana smiled gratefully, before making her way over to the elevator and pressing the Call button. It arrived within seconds, opening with a loud ping, as Santana walked in and pressed the button right at the top, labelled '10th Floor'. Santana couldn't help but to scoff at how pretentious Blaine was in his private top-floor office, always thinking that he was superior to others, looking down on them and treating them like crap.

"Well, not today." she muttered defiantly.

The elevator suddenly came to a halt, the doors sliding open smoothly. Santana stepped out, albeit slightly timidly, but then straightened up and walked purposefully down the hallway until she came to a door labelled '17', under which a gold plaque read, 'Blaine Anderson'. Santana rolled her eyes at the ostentatious display, but then took a deep breath, knowing she couldn't let Blaine's obnoxiousness get to her and ruin what she was about to do. She knocked firmly, rapping out an even tune, and waited a few seconds, before she heard a stern "Come in" float through the thick mahogany door.

She twisted the handle and pushed, and had to compose herself for a split second as she saw Blaine's office for the first time. The carpet was covered in a plush red carpet, which looked more comfortable than her bed. The centre of the room was dominated by a large, black desk, which was adorned with all kinds of gadgets and trinkets, and looked like it had just escaped from a modern sci-fi movie. And the view. The whole right side of the office was made of glass, which meant Blaine had a view of the whole city from up here. Santana let out a tiny gasp as she took in the scene before her; she never thought Ohio could look so beautiful.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" drawled Blaine, from his seat behind his desk.

Santana cleared her throat daintily and nodded, trying to appear nonchalant about the whole thing while turning to face her boss.

"Yeah, I designed it myself." he bragged, and Santana had to fight the urge not to beat him to death with his very expensive-looking desk lamp.

"So, Lopez. Enlighten me. Tell me what you want. And make it quick. I am not a very patient man."

Santana was about to speak, when Blaine held up his hand pompously to stop her, which made the brunette's blood boil.

"But, before we get into that, I believe you have something that belongs to me?"

Santana nodded briefly once again, delving into her bag and retrieving the crumpled bag of diamonds, deciding to keep her gun until her requests were granted. She handed the diamonds over to Blaine, who counted them before nodding happily.

"Yep, they're all here. Okay Lopez, what was so important that you needed to come to my office and talk to me about it?"

Santana swallowed nervously, before looking Blaine straight in the eye and speaking in a calm, firm voice.

"I quit."

It took a second for the words to register in Blaine's mind, but when they eventually did, his reaction was completely unexpected; he began laughing, his head thrown back as he chortled in amusement.

"I'm sorry Sir, I seem to have missed the joke." Santana said, some acidity leaking into her voice.

Blaine took a second to calm down before his demeanour suddenly changed, his expression becoming serious and rather threatening.

"You honestly think you can just quit?" he spat, his voice venomous and cold.

Santana was genuinely confused, unsure as to why Blaine was reacting like this. But his next words made everything a lot clearer.

"Look, Lopez. In allowing you to work here, I have had to tell you things that no one else can know. You know where our safe houses are situated, where we hide stolen goods while we're waiting for the heat to die down, where Headquarters is. And now, you also know that I was behind one of the biggest diamond heists in America. So if you think I'm just going to let you walk out of here and never look back, well, you're sorely mistaken."

His tone was dangerous, and Santana knew he meant every word.

"But Sir, I would never tell anyone about any of that! I just want to start a new life, that's al-"

"You think it's that easy? That you just walk away and pretend like none of this happened? You may think that's possible Lopez, but believe me, it isn't. And anyway, how do I know I can trust you? You already let me down on this case, so how can I believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?"

His mouth was twisted into a cruel sneer, and Santana had to once again restrain herself from lunging at Blaine and strangling him with his tie, which was no doubt from some expensive upper-class department store.

"Sir, you can trust me! Look, I brought the diamonds back, didn't I? I could've just run off with them and kept them for myself, but..."

Santana trailed off, realising that she had just made a huge mistake.

"Oh, you could've run off with them, could you?" Blaine said, his voice terrifyingly low. "See, Santana, that's where you're wrong. I mean, yes, you could've run off with them... but you would not have gotten very far, not on my watch."

Santana tried to backpedal, attempting to erase her careless words.

"No, no Sir, I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that I brought them back to you, all of them, and no one found out about them, and so that means you should trust me."

Blaine observed Santana uninterestedly for a second, but then his eyes widened and his expression changed to one of realisation.

"Oh."

Santana felt herself becoming more nervous, not liking the excited tone in Blaine's voice.

"Oh my. It's her, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry Sir, but I don't know who you're talking about."

Blaine smiled, as he nodded triumphantly.

"It's that Brittany girl."

Santana felt her blood run cold as Blaine said Brittany's name.

"What about her?" Santana asked, her eyes narrowing as she felt her heart rate speed up.

"She's the reason you want to quit." Blaine said.

"No, no, she's got nothing to do with this!" Santana said adamantly, but no avail.

"Oh, this is delicious." He stated victoriously, sneering at Santana pitifully. "You've come to care for the little pawn in our game. Well, doesn't this make for an interesting turn of events?"

Santana took a few deep breaths, in an attempt to calm down, but it didn't work. Instead she just felt herself becoming more and more worked up, her fear for Brittany's safety overtaking her own.

"You'd better not touch her." Santana said, her voice low and threatening.

Blaine looked taken aback at Santana's hostility for a split second, before adopting his usual arrogant attitude.

"Or what, Lopez? What are you going to do?"

"Well, I could go to the police and tell them everything I know about you."

She regretted the words the moment they were out of her mouth.

Blaine leapt up from his chair and circled his desk in a heartbeat, grabbing Santana and pinning her violently to the wall. Her breathing became laboured as he pushed her firmly, her chest constricted as she writhed uncomfortably against the hard wall. She squirmed and whimpered in pain as Blaine twisted her right arm up behind her back and used his other hand to pull her jaw, bringing her ear next to his lips.

"Now, you listen to me Lopez, and you listen good. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's being threatened. And then you come in here, preaching to me about how you're gonna turn me in to the cops. What, you feel brave because you stole a few diamonds from a bank? I've done things that would make your skin crawl, trust me. So, before you go around making threats, think about who you're threatening, and what they could do to you."

Blaine let go suddenly, and Santana collapsed to the floor, gasping for air and cradling her arm, which was throbbing as splices of pain shot up it every few seconds.

"So, let's clear everything up once and for all. You stay and work for me, and nothing bad is going to happen. But if you decide to leave, well, you may never see your precious Brittany again."

Santana took a large breath, before she used her uninjured arm to reach into her bag and pull out her gun. She pointed the weapon at Blaine, who took a tentative step back and lost some of his bravado as he saw the gun.

"Now, Lopez, don't do anything stupid." he reasoned.

But Santana had had enough of being reasonable.

"Now I think it's your turn to listen, _Anderson. _I'm going to walk out of here, and I'm never going to return. You are going to let me leave, or I will shoot you, make no mistake."

Santana stood up shakily, wincing slightly as a twinge of pain tore up her arm once again. However, she managed to pull herself together, staring at Blaine, her eyes blazing with anger, as she held the gun out steadily in front of her.

"Goodbye Blaine. I hope I never see you again."

And with that, Santana backed away, opening the door and going to step out into the safety of the corridor. However, just before she could turn and leave, Blaine spoke once more.

"You think you've won, don't you? Ah, you poor girl. You have no idea what you have just done. Not only have you put your own life in danger, you have now endangered your beloved Brittany."

Santana suddenly pulled the trigger, shooting the lamp that was a few metres to Blaine's right, which exploded into smithereens, making Blaine jump and leap back in shock.

"That was a warning. Do not touch her. Or you will regret it. Asshole."

And with that, Santana turned and walked briskly down the corridor, planning on leaving this place and never looking back.

* * *

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts as she approached the elevator that she failed to notice someone walking hurriedly towards her.

"Santana!"

The Latina jumped and froze, her heart thumping wildly, before she turned and recognised the short brunette behind her, who usually accompanied Santana when they had to execute a mission that needed a team to do it.

"Oh, hey Rachel. Look, I can't really talk right now, I'm kind of in a hurry-"

"You need to listen to me! I was passing by Blaine's office, and I heard him radio Sebastian and his team. Blaine has commanded them to kidnap Brittany, they're going to use her to force you to come back here and to keep your mouth shut!"

Santana's mouth ran dry as she lost all ability to speak. She felt her eyes fill with tears of panic as she imagined a bunch of men grabbing poor, innocent Brittany and taking her away somewhere.

"Santana, listen to me! We have to get to Brittany before they do, or you might lose her forever! Come on, let's go!"

Santana nodded mutely, following Rachel silently as they journeyed back down to the lobby.

Sugar's farewell fell on deaf ears, as Santana walked determinedly out into the parking lot, with Rachel right behind her.

"Oh crap, I don't have a car! How are we going to get to Brittany's?" Santana cried, her voice loud and panicked.

"Don't worry!" Rachel assured her. "I stole a set of keys from the cabinet when Blaine wasn't looking." she smirked devilishly.

Santana smiled in relief, as they clambered into the dark blue van that the keys matched.

"Okay Santana, direct me to Brittany's." Rachel commanded.

Santana nodded resolutely, as the smaller brunette turned the key in the ignition and they sped off, hearts racing, tyres screeching on the gravel beneath them.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at Brittany's house..._

"What are you so happy about?" quipped Quinn, smirking at the gooey-eyed look in Brittany's eyes.

"Nothing."

"Oh, so this has nothing to do with the fact that the extremely attractive girl you've been pining over declared her love for you just over an hour ago?"

"Hey! I was not _pining _over her." Brittany refuted stubbornly, much to Quinn's amusement.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever B." Quinn replied, as Brittany stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at her best friend.

"Anyway, where has lover girl gone now?" Quinn inquired curiously.

"Oh, she just had some stuff to sort out. Then she's coming back here." Brittany replied happily.

"Well, next time warn me when you two are going to get all... cosy and whatnot. Believe me, walking in on you two swallowing each other does nothing to dissolve the stark bleakness of my own love life."

"Aww, come on Q." Brittany wheedled, walking over to the shorted girl and wrapping her arms around her lovingly. "You'll find someone, don't you worry."

"You think so?"

"I know so! A catch like you. Anyone would be crazy to let you go."

"Well then, I must have dated a lot of psychopaths in the past." Quinn replied dryly, eliciting a giggle from Brittany.

"Right! Enough of this. While we're waiting for Santana to get back, how about we stick on movie, make some popcorn, and snuggle up on the sofa?" Brittany suggested brightly.

"Okay, yeah, sounds good. But I swear B, if we have to watch Harry Potter one more time, I'll have to go all Avada Kedavra on your ass!" Quinn answered playfully, nudging Brittany jauntily.

"Alright, the Hunger Games it is!" Brittany cheered, while Quinn chortled as she made her way to the kitchen to grab some popcorn.

* * *

Brittany and Quinn were just getting to the part where Peeta and Katniss kiss for the first time, when they heard a quiet thump coming from outside. Quinn's eyes widened slightly, but Brittany patted her arm and told her it was nothing, so they continued to watch the movie contentedly.

Suddenly, the front door burst open, almost flying off its hinges due to the colossal impact.

The girls bound off the sofa, Brittany grasping Quinn's hand in fear, as they both had their eyes glued to the now empty doorframe.

Everything then seemed to happen rapidly, as if someone was fast-forwarding through the scene as it unfolded.

A group of four men, dressed in black with ski masks on, burst into the house. Two of them grabbed Brittany, who began writhing and yelling, attempting to kick out at the men who had a firm hold on her arms. Quinn screamed, momentarily frozen with fear.

"Put this over her head." one of them growled, handing a sack to the man on Brittany's right.

Meanwhile, Quinn had come to her senses, and ran at one of the men, clawing at his face through the mask.

"LET HER GO!" she shrieked, but the man simply laughed and shoved her violently to the floor, kicking her in the stomach with his boot, and then she hit her head on the corner of the coffee table and blacked out.

Brittany was still squirming, trying to escape from the men's vicelike grip, but to no avail. They dragged her out of her house and threw her into the back of the awaiting van. The two men who had grabbed Brittany jumped into the back with her, while the other two climbed into the front.

"Where to, Sebastian?" questioned the man in the driver's seat.

"The warehouse, on the lower east side of Lima." replied Sebastian, from his place in the passenger's seat.

Then they sped off, Brittany crying silently in the back as one of the men tied up her hands and legs, rendering her unable to escape. She closed her eyes beneath the sack and thought of Santana, trying to ease the misery and dread that was coursing through her body, and eventually she passed out and sunk into a restless sleep.

* * *

"Drive faster!" Santana commanded, much to Rachel's irritation.

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

"Well, it's not fast enough!"

Rachel huffed in annoyance as she sped up even more, as she followed Santana's directions to Brittany's house.

They soon pulled up outside of Brittany's house, and Rachel looked at it in awe for a second before Santana raced over to the driver's side and practically yanked Rachel out of her seat.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Rachel said, as she followed Santana up the path. "I don't know why you're so violent, I think you may need to see someone about tha-"

Her words died in her throat as both girls approached the door, which was hanging half off its frame, the lock busted open.

Santana rushed inside, with Rachel hot on her heels, and was appalled by the sight she saw.

The table was on its side, its contents scattered across the floor. A lamp was smashed to her right, and the TV had been knocked askew. Santana noticed her Freya ornament was unharmed, but her fleeting moment of happiness was ended when she heard a faint moan coming from the other side of the sofa.

She rushed to the noise, and let out a horrified gasp as she saw Quinn, curled up in a ball, tears leaking down her face as she cradled her bruised stomach.

"Quinn! Oh my gosh, what happened?"

Rachel had rushed over too, and was helping Quinn sit up, supporting the blonde's back and head with her own body. Although the blonde was clearly traumatised, her hair dishevelled and her eyes bright red, Rachel couldn't help to notice how pretty she was, with her defined cheekbones and her dainty pink lips, as she began recounting what had happened.

"W-we... we were watching a film, and... these m-men came in, they pushed me down, and kicked me... and... and... they took Brittany! They... they took her, and now, I d-don't know where she is, and..."

Quinn then broke down, fresh tears streaming from her eyes as she sobbed brokenly.

Santana sat frozen, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

Rachel, meanwhile, was busy formulating a plan in her head.

"Well, Santana, you know what we have to do, don't you?" Rachel stated, while Santana shook her head in confusion and tried to stop herself from collapsing and crying too at the thought of those men hurting Brittany. "We have to go and rescue her!"

Santana stared at Rachel wide-eyed for a second, before nodding decisively and standing up, helping Quinn gently to her feet in the process.

The three girls then sat on the sofa, Santana rubbing Quinn's back soothingly while Rachel began plotting a way to get to Brittany.

"Well, before we do anything, we have to come up with a plan."

"Okay." Santana agreed, and Quinn sniffled her agreement next to her, smiling slightly at Rachel, who Quinn then noticed had a strikingly beautiful face. Rachel felt herself become flustered for a second, as Quinn fixed her hazel eyes upon her, but then shook herself internally, getting back to the matter at hand.

"Aright. First things first. We have to try and figure out where those assholes could have taken her..."

* * *

**Oh my gosh, so much drama! ;D And I finally got to add in some Faberry there, I've wanted to do that for ages! Also, out of curiosity, did anyone notice the sly reference I made to a former Glee character? I know there are the obvious ones, like Sugar and Sebastian, but there was one more and I was wondering if anyone would notice. If you do realise who it is, drop a review saying the answer! I'd love to see how many of you notice it ^^**

**Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I REALLY hope it was worth the wait, because I know I have taken a ridiculously long time to update, but that's because I've finished my exams so I've been enjoying my new-found freedom! But yeah, it felt really good to find some time to sit down and write this, I've been meaning to do it for ages!**

**Also, I won't be able to update at all next week, because I'm jetting off to New York as part of my 18****th**** birthday present! :D But when I get back, I promise that the updates should be more regular, with a smaller gap between them :) In the meantime, leave a review letting me know what you thought of this chapter! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**-Continued from the previous chapter.**

* * *

"Wait!" Quinn exclaimed desperately. "Before we do anything else, will someone PLEASE tell me what the heck is going on?"

Santana and Rachel exchanged a glance, to which Santana replied with a curt nod. Rachel took Quinn's arm and looked deep into her eyes, gulping softly.

"You're right, Quinn. After all this, you deserve to know the truth. Problem is, I don't think you'll believe me when I tell you."

"Oh, trust me. After what happened tonight, I'll believe whatever you say."

Rachel then took a deep breath, and began to explain everything to Quinn, along with all of the bits that Santana had filled her in on while they were driving to Brittany's house. She told her about Blaine, the diamonds, how Brittany and Santana met, how they fell for each other, and now, how Santana wanted to leave her old life and just be with Brittany, but Blaine feared that Santana would tell someone about his illegal activities once she was freed from his control, and so had kidnapped Brittany in order to scare Santana into keeping her mouth shut and remaining his employee.

Quinn listened to all of this with wide eyes, her breath coming out in short, sharp puffs, as if she was being told a particularly chilling horror story. Once Rachel was done, Quinn let out a large breath, as she realised how unaware she was of everything that had been going on, up until now.

"Well," she muttered, as she turned to face Santana on her left, "I guess I seriously misjudged _you_."

"What do you mean?" Santana asked, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Well, I just thought you were like all those other girls who've hurt Britt in the past; the ones who act like they like her, then they suddenly ditch her like she meant nothing. It's been so long since she's had an actual relationship, I just assumed this would be the same. But I see that I was wrong. You really care about her. I see that now."

Quinn offered Santana a tentative smile, which Santana returned wholeheartedly. The Latina then wrapped her arms gently around the blonde and hugged her warmly, while Quinn leant into the embrace and smiled.

"So, how do you fit into all of this?" Quinn enquired, this time turning to face Rachel.

Santana didn't miss the blush that spread across Rachel's cheeks as Quinn fixed her stunning hazel eyes on her, but she didn't comment on it, instead choosing to smirk to herself and sit back, arms crossed, just watching the other girls amusedly.

"I, um, I also work for Blaine. Well, I guess I should say I _used _to work for him. Like a second-in-command type thing, you know? Like, if Santana ever, uh, goes out on a mission, then I'm normally there to, uh, help."

Quinn thought Rachel stuttering over her words was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"I see." she replied, looking at Rachel appraisingly, while the brunette nibbled her lip and giggled nervously.

Santana rolled her eyes at the obvious sexual tension in the room, chortling to herself.

"Well ladies, so sorry to break up this lovely conversation, but don't we have something kinda important to plan?" she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm, although her eyes were bright with amusement.

"Right!" Rachel exclaimed, clearing her throat delicately and shaking her head a few times, as if to clear it.

She leapt up from the sofa and grabbed the upturned coffee table, setting it back on its feet. She then ushered Santana and Quinn to sit either side of her, and they got to work.

* * *

Brittany awoke in a daze, her eyes clouded over with sleep, her mind jumbled and confused. She glanced around, disorientated, wondering where she was.

Then, it all came flooding back.

The men. Quinn on the floor. Being dragged out of her house. The van. And now, here she was, lying on the freezing concrete floor in a dark, cold room, the walls grey and streaked with dirt, her hands and feet bound by rigid, unforgiving chains that constricted around her wrists, a small trickle of light filtering through the one grimy window in the topmost corner of the room. She struggled, testing the chains, but they were unyielding. She then began to panic, her breath becoming ragged and uneven, as she began screaming in terror.

"Help! Someone help me, please! HELP ME!"

All of a sudden, two men burst into the room; one a tall, light-skinned man with a quiff, the other a slightly shorter, portly man with dark skin and buzz cut. The light from the hallway blinded Brittany momentarily, so she couldn't see the men for a second, but then they were upon her, kicking and punching, snarling vicious words of hate.

Brittany yelped as blow after blow rained down on her vulnerable form, which only enraged the men further.

"Shut up!" one of them growled.

Brittany then lunged forward, head butting the smaller man violently. He looked down in shock to see blood gushing out from his nose.

"Sebastian, did you see what that little bitch just did to me?" he exclaimed in anger.

"Hold her still, Azimio." The one called Sebastian ordered, before delivering a particularly hard blow to Brittany's cheek with his clenched fist. She cried out in pain, so Sebastian then proceeded to cover her mouth with a scrap of material he extracted from his pocket.

Once they were satisfied with the damage they had inflicted upon the trembling blonde, who now lay silent and broken on the floor, whimpering helplessly, they straightened up and smiled triumphantly, exiting the room.

"I bet this'll teach Santana to listen to Blaine in the future." Sebastian sneered.

Azimio nodded, grinning darkly before closing the door behind them.

Brittany could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness, her head throbbing and reeling due to the countless blows she had suffered, but before she was completely enveloped by the dark, albeit welcome oblivion, one whispered word ghosted across her bruised lips.

"Santana..."

* * *

The girls had been huddled around the now-upright coffee table for about half an hour, Rachel in the middle, using one hand to jot down ideas, the other grasping Quinn's trembling hand firmly. They were deep in conversation about where Blaine could have arranged for Brittany to be taken, although most of the contributions were made by Rachel and Santana, due to the fact that Quinn had pretty much no idea what was going on, whereas the other two women were rather well-informed when it came to thinking about hostage situations, having been involved in a fair few over the years that they had worked for Blaine.

"Okay, well, another suggestion could be one of his many associate's offices that are situated around the city?" ventured Santana, but Rachel shook her head, her forehead creased slightly as she pondered.

"No, that's too easy. Blaine knows we would think to look there. He would have told them to take her somewhere unknown, somewhere hidden and difficult to find, unless you knew where you were going."

"Hmm, how about his office?"

"Again, too easy. Remember, Blaine wants this to be hard. He's doing this to prove to you that he controls you, and that you can't leave unless he says you can leave."

"Urgh, this is impossible! We've brainstormed loads of ideas already, she could be anywhere!" Santana cried, sounding more and more distressed as time wore on.

Quinn's eyes darted back and forth between the girls, as she tried her hardest to think of a place, so she could at least be of some help.

"Well, I do know of one place in the city that would be good for hiding things..." she spoke timidly, causing Santana and Rachel to look at her, their expressions mildly surprised but interested. "There's an old abandoned warehouse, um, right down in the South side of Lima, out in the suburbs. Uh, not many people go there, I mean, no one lives there, it's an uninhabited area. My dad's a cop, I've heard him talk about people using the warehouse for illegal stuff. I just thought, maybe, that's where Blaine may have taken Britt."

Santana and Rachel stared at Quinn in awe, mouths agape. Rachel suddenly exploded, launching herself at Quinn and tackling the surprised blonde, grasping her in a bear hug.

"Quinn, that's it! Oh, it's so obvious now, I can't believe we didn't think of this sooner!"

Santana looked at Rachel in confusion, until the smaller brunette offered an explanation for her excited outburst.

"A few weeks ago, I overheard Blaine discussing property with an estate agent. He was asking if abandoned properties had to be legally bought, or if they were just open for the taking. I didn't take much notice of it then, but now it all makes sense! He was asking about the warehouse, of course! It's the perfect place for him to carry out his interrogations and to hold hostages, many people don't even know it exists!"

Santana grinned at Rachel, her excitement gradually building as she realised that they may actually be able to get to Brittany before anything bad happened to her. Quinn was smiling too, but this may have had more to do with the fact that Rachel's arm was still firmly around her waist, their sides pressed together.

"Okay, thanks to Quinn, we now have a possible location for Brittany. Do you know how to get there?"

"Yes," Quinn nodded, "Well, I know its rough whereabouts, I've seen my dad's maps of the city, so I'm sure I'll be able to direct you to it once we're in the area."

"Good. Now, Santana, when we get there, you and I will scope the place out and come up with a plan. Quinn, you'll remain in the car, ready to drive us away when we need to get out of there. Got it?"

Santana and Quinn nodded; the blonde feeling more than impressed and slightly turned on by the new authoritative tone in Rachel's voice.

"Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

And with that, the three girls scrambled to their feet, running out of the broken front door to the van that Rachel had stolen.

As they were buckling themselves in, Rachel in the driver's seat, Quinn and Santana in the back, Rachel turned to the other two girls, a devilish smile on her face.

"Oh, also, the van wasn't the only thing I took. Look under that tarp."

As she put the car into drive and sped away, Santana warily pulled back the green tarpaulin that was stretched across the large empty section in the back of the van. Quinn let out a gasp, while Santana grinned widely, as they saw what else Rachel had stolen.

It was weapons and equipment Santana was all too familiar with, while Quinn stared at it all in wonder.

Guns. Grenades. Small knives. Walkie talkies. Body armour. Utility belts.

Quinn swallowed nervously, while Santana smirked as she inspected each instrument.

"I thought that would make things a little fairer." Rachel said, winking at Quinn in the rear-view mirror, as she turned left down a road marked 'South Lima'.

* * *

Quinn directed them to the warehouse, which was so discreetly placed that anyone who didn't know it was there wouldn't see it at all. It was positioned behind a large row of buildings, which all used to serve as multinational corporate offices, but were soon forgotten about as people moved more and more of their businesses into the heart of the city. The warehouse was shrouded in darkness thanks to the cover provided by both the other buildings and the rapidly approaching darkness that accompanied the descending night-time, and was hard to spot, even in the daytime.

"Nice going, Quinn." Rachel said warmly, causing Quinn to turn the most endearing shade of pink Rachel had ever seen. She then steered the van into a shady spot out of the soft glow of the moonlight, which was overshadowed by the tall, gray, ex-office blocks that made up half of South Lima, disguising the van and keeping it hidden.

"Okay, here's what I think we should do." Santana began speaking, sounding confident and determined. This was her area of expertise; they were in her territory now.

"Quinn, like Rachel said, you stay in the van, in the event of us needing a rapid escape. Also, be ready to call the police the second we get back here; we don't want to give Blaine and his thugs time to escape. Now, Rachel, take these."

She tossed Rachel a gun and a knife, and then handed her one of the grenades.

"Here's the plan for when we get to the warehouse. Rachel, you throw this grenade somewhere near it, outside though, in order to distract whoever they've got guarding the door. Once that's done, you take care of whoever comes running." Rachel nodded resolutely, her expression serious and focused. "Once that's done, you keep watch by the door, and use this walkie talkie to warn me if you see Blaine anywhere. Then, I'll sneak in, using my little friend to take care of anyone who gets in my way." She gestured to the gun in her hand, much to Quinn's horror.

"Wait, you're just going to shoot anyone, regardless of whether they attack you or not?"

"I will if it means I can get Brittany back in my arms safely. She's the single most important person in the world to me." Santana answered, her eyes narrowed and dark with hatred for the people who had stolen her girl away from her. Quinn gulped and nodded, not daring to question Santana again.

"As I was saying, I'll go inside, get rid of any of Blaine's cronies that try to stop me, then I'll try to find the main room where they store their equipment and stuff; there's bound to be some sort of control room with cameras, where they monitor everything that's going on inside the warehouse. I know Blaine, he likes seeing what everyone is doing, it makes him feel powerful." she sneered, her voice sharp with disgust for the oily-haired little man. "Then, I'll use the monitor system to locate Britt, and then I'll blast my way through anyone who tries to stop me from getting her out of there. And believe me, I will show no mercy."

Santana's words fell from her lips like a promise, each one heavy and true, a solemn oath to do everything in her power to get back the love of her life.

"We all set? Okay, let's g-"

"Hold on!" Quinn cried, lunging forward and blocking Santana from exiting the van. "You almost forgot these."

She held up the torso body shields, looking worried for the other girls. Rachel sensed this and smiled tenderly, reaching over the seat and lacing her fingers with Quinn's, whose hands were trembling.

"Quinn, don't worry about us. This is what we know best, we'll be fine." she spoke softly, trying to reassure the terrified blonde.

"B-but, what if they f-find me out here?" Quinn stammered, her rampant, growing fear now evident to both Rachel and Santana.

"Look here Q." Santana said, grasping Quinn's shoulders and looking her firmly in the eye. "Nothing, and I repeat, _nothing_, is going to happen to you. Okay? Rachel and I will be gone for a little while, and then we'll be right back in here with you."

"P-promise?" she whispered, frightened tears building in her eyes.

"Promise." answered both Santana and Rachel, their voices honest and sombre.

The girls then suited up, stripping off their jackets and tops before pulling on the body armour.

Even though she was terrified beyond belief, Quinn couldn't help but to let her eyes wander as the girls sat in nothing but their bras as they adjusted the straps on their torso shields. Her eyes first danced over Santana's lithe frame, her abs taut and refined, but then she soon found herself even more entranced by Rachel's soft, lightly-tanned skin and her defined stomach muscles that rippled every time she moved. Quinn then shook her head, to clear the haze that had descended upon her mind, but did so lightly, so as not to be noticed by either of the half-naked women before her. Santana, however, picked up on Quinn's attempt at not staring at Rachel, and chuckled quietly to herself.

The Latina's chortles alerted Rachel to the situation, and she glanced up in time to see Quinn look away from her quickly and blush furiously, as she stared down at her clenched fists. Rachel, however, simply giggled a little, before pulling her shirt back on over the body armour and planting a light kiss on Quinn's cheek. Quinn's head whipped up as she stared at Rachel, dumbstruck.

Meanwhile, Santana had been wirelessly connecting the walkie talkies, and was now handing one to Rachel, who clipped it to her utility belt alongside the gun.

The two brunettes then locked gazes, breathing deeply and evenly.

"So, we all know the plan?" Rachel murmured, as Quinn nodded hesitantly and Santana replied with a firm "Yes."

"Okay, good. Let's do this."

And with that, Santana and Rachel each got out of the vehicle, leaving a petrified Quinn quivering in the front seat of the van.

"You'll be fine Q." stated Santana.

"There's nothing to worry about. We'll be back in no time." murmured Rachel soothingly, before pulling Quinn into a tight hug. She then closed the door softly, as Quinn placed her hands on the steering wheel and gripped it tightly, in an attempt to stop them from shaking. Rachel blew Quinn one last kiss as she and Santana prepared to run, and then they were off, racing towards the hulking infrastructure ahead of them, not knowing what was waiting for them inside, but ready for any challenges that came their way.

* * *

**And the excitement continues! I am having SO much fun writing this fic, it's actually insane. Usually I'm just really happy when I find some time and write a new chapter, but now, I actually feel excited when I'm planning my next chapter and thinking about what's going to happen next ^^ I think this may be my favourite story to write so far, it's just so exciting and different from anything I've written before :) **

**As you can all see, along with the action heating up, the Faberry is gradually increasing too :D I feel like it's necessary because, well, not only are Quinn and Rachel ADORABLE together, but I feel like without them, there would have been no fluff in quite a few of the previous chapters, due to the fact that Brittany and Santana have been apart. So yeah, I hope all of you like Faberry as well as Brittana, if not, then just stay tuned for a couple more chapters, then the Brittana fluff will return, that's a promise! **

**Another thing – THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed/favourited/alerted this fic. It was the best feeling in the world to go away for a week and then come back to almost double the amount of reviews and hits! So a massive thank you to all of you, you give me the encouragement to keep writing :) **

**But yeah, I think I should end this author's note now, before it becomes a story of its own xD Once again, thank you to EVERYONE who is following this fic, especially those who have followed it from the beginning. **

**Don't forget, reviews are always appreciated, so don't be shy, let me know what you think! ^^**

**Next update should be along soon, and until then, stay awesome everyone! **


	9. Chapter 9

Santana and Rachel slowed as they reached the base of the colossal building ahead of them. They stood still for a second, marvelling at the size of it; its tall, dark frame, seeming to reach endlessly into the night sky; its blacked-out windows, seeing everything but never allowing anyone to see in; the rusty shackles that bound the doors, a silent warning to those who dared to approach it.

But Santana and Rachel weren't scared. If anything, they were excited. They hadn't felt a rush like this for years. Although Santana was afraid of something. She was afraid that they might not reach Brittany in time. But she didn't let those thoughts get to her. She shook her head stubbornly, refusing to let the toxic thoughts penetrate her focused mind. She glanced over at Rachel, who nodded to signal that she was ready, and Santana returned her nod confidently, smiling a little.

"R, you know the plan?"

"Inside and out, S."

"Good. Okay, let's do this."

And with that, Santana flattened herself against the wall, preparing to run inside the second she got a chance. Rachel, meanwhile, was dashing across the gravel that peppered the driveway outside the warehouse, finding a suitable spot for the grenade. She signalled to Santana that she had found one, and then backed away, leaving enough space between herself and the target area. Rachel then took the grenade off of her utility belt, breathing deeply and slowly. She took cover behind a large shrub, and then pulled the pin. She threw the grenade with all the strength she could muster into the area she had selected; a small, neglected patch of nettles over on the far right side of the warehouse. She then ducked, covering her ears in anticipation for the explosion that was to come. She counted down under her breath, bracing herself.

"Three. Two. One."

Boom!

The explosion echoed around the empty lot, the shattered bits of bark and debris raining down with a loud clatter. A sharp ringing sounded in Rachel's ears for a second, before it dissipated, leaving an eerie silence to settle over the warehouse parking lot. But this didn't last for long.

Within a matter of seconds, the main doors had crashed open, with several men dressed in black spilling out, shouting in anger. Santana stayed hidden behind one of the open doors, waiting for the right moment to slip in undetected. Rachel, on the other hand, decided to take a more forward approach.

The small brunette ran out from her cover in the bushes, snarling and brandishing her gun threateningly. The man leading the pack faltered for a second, his face a mixture of shock and awe, before composing himself and raising his gun to shoot. But, before he had a chance to pull the trigger, a thick lead pipe came flying at him from behind, knocking him forcefully to the ground. Rachel smirked as he writhed in pain, thanking God that Santana always had her back. As she glanced up, she saw the Latina slinking into the building, but her attention was soon drawn by the two other men running at her, weapons raised and ready. She grinned cockily, raising her eyebrows before muttering, "Bring it on."

The men came rushing at her, sure that they would be able to take her down easily. However, they had totally underestimated the power of Rachel Berry. As the first man reached her, she swung her arm out and caught him right on his windpipe, causing him to double over, gasping in pain. She then brought her elbow down swiftly in between his shoulder blades, making his legs buckle as he dropped to the ground on his knees. Rachel sensed the other man creeping up behind her, and just as she heard the telltale click of a trigger being pulled, she grabbed the body of the man on the floor and pulled him up, using his body as a shield. The other man had pulled the trigger, unaware of Rachel's plan, and so could do nothing but watch in horror as his own bullet tore through the flesh of his partner, right into his chest.

Rachel dropped the body of the now-dead guard, and straightened up to face her last and final opponent. He snarled nastily, his quaffed brown hair now flopping forward as sweat drenched his forehead. His pale, sharp face was twisted into an expression of hate, and he circled Rachel, like a shark preparing to deliver the last crushing bite.

"Hello Rachel." he said, sounding anything but welcoming.

"Hello Sebastian." Rachel replied, her voice bored and uninterested.

"I see your loyalties seem to have changed."

"I see you're still content with being Blaine's little puppet."

"You're going to regret the day you ever decided to betray us." Sebastian growled lowly, his voice menacing, as his eyes flickered over to Azimio's lifeless form.

Rachel simply smiled sweetly, before replying, "Believe me, Smythe. If there's one thing I will never regret, it's finally finding a reason to leave this god-awful place and all the people in it."

"Those are strong words, Berry. Must be someone awfully special to make you suddenly want to change like this. That wouldn't happen to be that cute blonde we saw the night we took Santana's girl, would it?"

Rachel froze, and Sebastian smirked victoriously, knowing he had hit a nerve.

Little did he know, he had just made the biggest mistake of his life.

Rachel sneered at Sebastian, as a red, angry mist descended down over her eyes. She felt the anger coursing through her veins, and relished the sensation as she felt her heart pounding against her ribcage.

She dropped her hands, as if she was about to surrender. Sebastian grinned exultantly, but his triumph ended abruptly as Rachel suddenly ran at him, full-speed. He stared at Rachel, unaware of what was about to happen, and then attempted to step out of the way. But he was a second too late.

Rachel came barrelling at him, knocking him to the ground with all of the force she had in her small but sturdy body. Sebastian fell backwards, the air escaping from his lungs with a loud 'whoosh', as he collided with the ground, feeling his head smack into the unforgiving gravel beneath him. He groaned in pain, his vision fuzzy, his head swimming. Rachel then stood over Sebastian, leering down at him dangerously.

"So, Seb, I want you to tell me something. And be honest, because for every lie I think you're telling me, I'll hurt you. Do you know where Blaine is?"

Sebastian shook his head obstinately, as if he was trying to convince her that he was telling the truth.

"See, here's the funny thing," Rachel giggled darkly, "I just don't believe you."

And with that, she brought the butt of her gun down powerfully on Sebastian's chest, eliciting a loud cry of pain from him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Now, I'm going to ask you another question, and this time, be honest. Have you or any of your cronies done anything bad to Brittany?"

Sebastian shook his head once again, but this time Rachel sensed his reluctance.

"Okay, now I KNOW you're lying. That's a shame. You could've got out of here with just some minor injuries. But, now that I know that you've hurt Brittany, well, let's just say things aren't looking to good for Mr Sebastian Smythe."

Rachel then reached over, grabbing the discarded lead pipe that Santana had thrown earlier. Sebastian's eyes widened in fear, and he attempted to crawl away, scrabbling in the dirt on his stomach like a helpless animal.

"Aww, poor Seb," Rachel drawled sarcastically, before dragging him back mercilessly by his ankles, "See, you think you're so tough, but really, you're just a scared little boy playing with daddy's toys."

She then brought the pipe viciously down, crushing it against Sebastian's spine. He yelped pitifully, tears pooling in his eyes. Rachel slammed the pipe into Sebastian's body a few more times, until he was mewling in pain and begging her to stop.

"You see, Sebastian, here's the really funny thing. I bet Brittany begged you to stop, didn't she?"

Sebastian nodded hesitantly, not wanting to answer but fearing the repercussions of a lie.

"And I would bet all my life savings to say that you didn't stop, did you?"

Another slow shake of the head.

"So, even though she's completely innocent in all of this, you continued to beat her, knowing she had done nothing to deserve it. And yet, you expect me to show mercy on _you_? That's rich. But you know what? I'm not a bad person, Smythe. So, I will show mercy."

Sebastian managed to smile, his face awash with relief. However, his eyes became terrified once more at Rachel's next words.

"I'll put you out of your misery, Sebastian. Once and for all." she murmured. She then raised her gun and placed it on his forehead, directly in between his panic-stricken eyes.

"Goodbye Sebastian."

Just as she was about to deliver the kill-shot, she hesitated, leaning down to mutter quietly in his ear.

"Oh, and one other thing. I sincerely hope they have hair driers in Hell, or you're never going to be able to get that quiff right."

And then she pulled the trigger.

* * *

Meanwhile, Santana had been skulking around stealthily, investigating the seemingly endless rows of corridors that criss-crossed all over the ground floor of the warehouse. She hadn't encountered much resistance so far, only a skittish young man who seemed to be delivering something in boxes, but she soon silenced him with a swift blow to the head. She continued to follow the path ahead of her, keeping to the left hand side with her back pressed firmly against the wall.

Just as she was about to round a corner, she heard a faint crackling sound from up ahead. She tilted her ear towards it, and recognised the familiar buzz of a radio system. She silently reached down and detached her walkie talkie from her utility belt.

"Rachel. I think I've found the control room. How are things out there?" Santana whispered urgently.

"Copy that. Things are fine. All taken care of. Go get her." Rachel replied.

"Thanks." came the reply, before their conversation was disconnected with a quiet click.

Santana peered carefully round the corner, keeping her body hidden behind the wall. Her eyes widened as they took in the scene in front of her.

Through the partly open door ahead of her, she could see screens. Dozens of small screens, lining the wall like some form of decoration. Below them, she could see large panels with hundreds of buttons and switches, some blinking steadily, some flashing rapidly. She tiptoed closer, peering through the gap in the open doorway. She saw a man sitting in front of the screens, monitoring them with a bored expression on his face. She pulled out a rag from her pocket and soaked it in the chloroform that Rachel had slipped into her pocket earlier.

"Thank you Berry." she whispered, as she stole silently into the room.

She quickly grabbed the man and smothered his mouth with the rag, as he gave a muffled cry before his body slumped down, still and unresisting. Santana dragged the man over to the corner and nodded, satisfied with her work. She then approached the many monitors, scanning them for any sign of Brittany.

Her heart leapt when she caught sight of a head of blonde hair in the screen in the top left hand corner, and she felt excitement bubble up inside her when she recognised Brittany. But her joy rapidly fizzled out as she properly took in Brittany's appearance and demeanour.

The blonde was curled up in the corner of the bleak room she was in, her arms wrapped protectively around her head. She was trembling, and although Santana couldn't hear her, she could see that Brittany was sobbing helplessly, her feeble form broken and vulnerable.

Santana felt a fire ignite within her, a newfound rage that she had never felt before raging through her body as she swore to rescue Brittany from these soulless monsters. She located the number of the room on the screen, and then turned on her heel, eyes blazing with anger and determination.

She marched out of the control room, no longer caring about being seen. A guard entering another room further on from the control room spotted Santana, but before he could even open his mouth to call someone, she had silenced him with a swift bullet to the head.

Santana Lopez would show no mercy.

She rooted around in the dead guard's pockets, trying to find something that would help her find Brittany's prison, room G14. She felt something hard in his front left pocket and extracted it swiftly. It was an electronic map, and slightly resembled a GPS tracking device. She raised one eyebrow curiously, as she tried to figure out how it worked – Blaine had obviously introduced these after she had left, as she had never seen one before.

She read the label on each small button, and noticed one marked 'Voice-Controlled Room Navigation'. She shrugged, deciding to try it and hope for the best.

"Room G Fourteen." she spoke into the device, holding the button down firmly.

The screen lit up, and an arrow appeared, pointing her forwards. She grinned, before snatching the card labelled 'Room Access Key' from the chain that hung limply around the guard's neck. She then stood up, calm and composed, as she followed the bright yellow arrow on the screen of the map.

As she ascended a small flight of stairs and neared the room marked 'G14' on the map, she slowed her pace, her black sneakers making no noise at all on the rough floor. There was no one in sight, but that didn't mean that there wasn't anyone waiting to ambush her from the shadows. She decided to test the water, calling out a faint "Hello?" There was no reaction, so she assumed that Blaine didn't think it was necessary to have guards up here since the only people in these rooms were too weak to do anything.

She walked slowly, reading each door number carefully.

G10. G11. G12. G13.

Here it is.

As Santana placed her hand on the heavy door, she could hear quiet whimpers coming from beyond it. Her heart broke, knowing that she was the cause of all this. But she shook her head resolutely, trying to knock some sense into herself.

'_Come on Santana, this is not the time for self-pity. You have to save Brittany. Now!'_

She nodded once, then proceeded to slide the key card through the flashing slot, hearing a dull click before the door sprung open slightly.

She breathed a sigh of relief, and then flung open the door, dropping the map and racing to Brittany.

Unfortunately, the blonde didn't know it was Santana who had opened the door, and so began to react as she usually did to her attackers.

"Get away from me!" she screamed, as she thrashed wildly and blindly punched and kicked the air.

"Brittany! Brittany, stop! It's me! It's Santana!"

Brittany froze and opened her eyes a little, stunned into silence.

"S-Santana? Is... is it really y-you?" she stuttered, fear still apparent in her wild eyes as she squinted apprehensively, her face shrouded in shadow.

"Yeah B, it's me." she replied, smiling a little.

Brittany remained still for a further few seconds, unsure of whether this was all a dream or not.

She then sat up and threw herself into Santana's arms, not caring about the sharp pain that sliced through her body at every movement.

"SANTANA! Oh my god, it's really you! You found me! Thank you! Thank you so much!" she gasped, gripping Santana tightly as if she feared they would be separated once again. Tears ran thickly down her face as she buried into Santana's chest, rocking slightly and whimpering.

Santana felt like her heart was crumbling and singing all at once.

Seeing Brittany so exposed, so weak, it was one of the most painful things she had ever experienced; but she was still so happy to finally be holding Brittany in her arms once again, she couldn't help the warm, fuzzy feeling that spread through her stomach.

But Santana then noticed how Brittany winced every time she moved, and her forehead creased with concern.

"Britt? What's wrong? What did they do to you?"

Brittany pulled back from Santana's embrace and averted her eyes, cradling her right arm tenderly.

"Brittany. Look at me."

The blonde raised her head slowly, reluctant to meet Santana's questioning gaze. When their eyes finally did meet, and the light fully illuminated Brittany's face, Santana gasped in horror.

Brittany's eyes were both bruised, with one almost swollen shut. Her face was peppered with cuts and bruises, and her lip had been split open, a dry line of blood running down to her chin. Santana ran her eyes further down, taking in the rest of Brittany's appearance. Her pretty blue dress was smeared with dirt and blood, and there was a rip along one side. Santana peeled back the slit in the dress and had to suppress the urge to gag when she saw the full extent of the damage done to Brittany's body.

Beneath the rip, Santana could see a large gash, which was red-raw and oozing blood. As she explored further, she found bruises scattered all across Brittany's chest, ribcage, and stomach, angry purple splotches blossoming and tarnishing the pure cream canvas. She then turned her attention to the arm Brittany was cradling so delicately, and gently took it in her hands.

"I... I think it's broken." Brittany sniffled, a sound so pitiful it made Santana want to cry.

"Here." Santana took off her shirt and bullet-proof vest, remaining clad in just the vest top she was wearing underneath. She placed the body armour gently over Brittany's head until it was settled comfortably around her torso, but not tight enough to press on her injuries. She then fashioned a sling out of her shirt and wrapped Brittany's arm up in it, while the blonde simply watched in awe.

"What?" Santana asked, slightly amused by Brittany's intense gaze.

"It's just... I've never seen you so focused before. It's enchanting." Brittany whispered.

Santana chuckled a little, before regaining her composure.

"Okay, we have to get out of here now, before anyone notices that something's wrong. Actually, isn't it a little strange that no one's come running by now? I mean, don't they usually have this place swarming with guards and stuff?"

Brittany simply shrugged, while Santana looked around, puzzled.

"Well, anyway, we have to go. Now, Britt, I know standing up and walking is going to hurt a lot, but you have to do it. I'll help you through it though, I'll be here every step of the way. Okay?"

Brittany answered with a reluctant nod, and then Santana stood up and extended her arms out towards her.

"Just take my hands and use them to slowly pull yourself up, 'kay?"

Brittany did just that, and within a few seconds she was standing next to Santana, panting and whimpering in pain, although she seemed happy to be on her feet.

"That's great B, I'm proud of you." Santana smiled encouragingly, before slinging her arm under Brittany's shoulders to offer her some support.

"Alright, let's get moving."

* * *

Santana managed to locate the entrance to the warehouse using the map which she had retrieved from the floor of Brittany's cell, and eventually arrived there with Brittany leaning heavily on her, gasping and grimacing as pain shot violently through her body every few seconds.

"Come on B. We're almost there baby. Come on!"

Santana could see the soft glow of the moonlight beckoning just ahead of them, and could feel her excitement rising. However, there was a small, niggling voice in the back of her mind, that was wondering why they hadn't been intercepted at all on their way out of the warehouse.

But she brushed it aside, focused on getting Brittany into the van and back to safety.

They made it outside, the fresh air welcoming Brittany like a long-lost friend. She breathed in deeply, savouring every sweet morsel of oxygen, smiling a little. Seeing Brittany smile so freely warmed Santana's heart, just as it always did.

But their moment of serenity was rapidly interrupted by the loud crackle of Santana's walkie talkie. Brittany jumped, flinching at the sudden sound, but Santana calmed her down, rubbing her arm soothingly as Rachel's panicked voice came through the device.

"Santana, I've been keeping a watch from behind the warehouse, and I've just seen Blaine entering the building. Someone must have told him we were here! Watch your back, he could be-"

But before Santana could hear the rest of Rachel's sentence, it was cut off by the sharp, clear sound of a gunshot piercing the silence of the night.

Brittany ducked instinctively, as did Santana. The Latina quickly raked her eyes over Brittany's body, but couldn't see a mark anywhere. It was only then that she registered the throbbing that had begun to resonate throughout her own body. She looked down, and something in her mind vaguely realised that there was a pulsating wound at the top of her thigh, spitting streaks of blood. She felt her vision begin to blur, as her head swam and she began to fall to the ground.

The last thing she remembered before she blacked out was seeing a short, dark-haired man running towards her, his face twisted in a snarl, a gun in his hand, pointed straight at her.

* * *

**OHMYGOODNESS, IT'S ALL SO TENSE! :O I did not realise that this chapter would turn out to be so dramatic, but now I'm pretty happy with how it's turned out ^^ **

**I REALLY want to hear you guys' opinions on this chapter, I was a tad nervous about writing it because I wanted to do it justice and make it really exciting and gripping, so please, don't be shy, let me know what you liked, what you think could've been improved. etc. **

**Also, for those of you who are aching for some Brittana fluff, it is coming, I promise! Obviously it's a bit difficult right now, what with all the shooting and violence and whatnot, but you will get it soon, most likely in the chapter after the next one :) **

**Another thing – I hope you guys don't think I'm some kind of sick person for having Brittany beat up and whatever. It's not that I LIKE injuring people, ESPECIALLY not Brittany or Santana, but I felt like it had to be done in order to show the true nature of these people. But yeah, please don't hate me for that :( and I think the fluff that's coming up will make up for all of the horrible stuff that has been happening, so just stick with it, things will get better! **

**So, as always, reviews make me happier than Brittany with a box of Lucky Charms, all you have to do is write in the box and click that little button! ^^ **

**Next update should be along soon, as usual, and until then, stay awesome everyone! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

_Santana blinked slowly, her eyes squinting as they adjusted to the bright light around her. She could hear birds chirping, and as she sat up, she saw that she was sitting in a beautiful meadow, surrounded by soft green grass and flowers that were every colour imaginable. She glanced over to her right, distracted by the soft sound of trickling water. Amidst the low, hanging tendrils of a willow tree, she saw a babbling brook, the crystal clear water running smoothly over the pebbles, chattering away, almost as if it were having a conversation with the surrounding wildlife. Gorgeous music then began to play from within a dense thicket off to her left, soft notes tinkering out and caressing her ears, then she stood up and began to follow it, intent on finding the source of this wonderful melody that conveyed such joy and delight. _

_As she pushed her way through the hanging branches, which were adorned with blossoming flowers and ornate chirping insects, she found herself in a small clearing in the centre of the copse that she had entered. She gasped, lost for words. But it wasn't the woodland forest that took her breath away. It was what was waiting for her within the confines of the trees that left her stunned._

_For there, standing beneath a tumbling waterfall, the crystalline water droplets running slowly down her naked body, was Brittany. Head thrown back, blonde hair cascading down, she opened her eyes and smiled lazily at Santana, as she hummed the most beautiful tune Santana had ever heard. _

_The Latina could do nothing but stare, completely transfixed by the flawless woman she saw before her. Her heart raced as she watched Brittany sway sensually, her eyes fluttering shut as the cool water caressed her bare skin, dripping off her succulent breasts tantalisingly. _

_Santana could feel her arousal growing as she began to walk towards Brittany, taking tentative steps until she was mere metres away from the blonde. Brittany locked eyes with Santana, beckoning her forward with her finger, smiling alluringly. _

"_Santana." Brittany sung, her voice light and irresistible._

_Santana found herself walking towards Brittany before she had even made the conscious decision to do so, but looking at Brittany's exposed form, she couldn't say she had a problem with it. As Santana reached up to take off her own clothes, she glanced down in shock to see that they had somehow already been removed. She frowned, thinking this was a tad unusual, but shrugged and brushed it off, not wanting to question anything for fear that it might take her away from Brittany. _

_She smiled shyly as Brittany gazed at her, drinking in Santana's beauty. Santana's tan skin flushed as Brittany's eyes raked over her luscious bosoms, the blonde licking her lips hungrily as her eyes blazed with desire. _

_Brittany then extended her arms, taking Santana's hands in her own, which were soft and gentle. Santana closed the gap between them, pressing their bodies close together, revelling in the feel of Brittany's satin skin on hers. But she couldn't help but feel as though something was tugging at her, trying to pull her away from this magical world._

_She tried to ignore it, to stay in this fantasy land with the woman she loved, but it became more and more persistent, almost as if there was a rope around her waist with someone yanking on the other end. She felt herself being pulled, pulled away from Brittany and her gentle, loving touch. _

_Santana struggled against the unrelenting pull, trying to stay with her lover under this perfect canopy of trees with sunlight filtering softly through the branches. Alas, she wasn't powerful enough, and she cried out as she was suddenly ripped away from Brittany, pain slicing through her heart. _

_She landed roughly on the ground, and when she opened her eyes, the landscape had changed completely. She was in a deserted, empty wasteland, surrounded by nothing but dirt that stretched endlessly into the distance. _

_Suddenly, the ground below her began to shake, the tremors resonating violently through her body._

_She attempted to stand up, but was knocked to the ground, where she felt a sharp pain in her left cheek as she impacted with the ground..._

"I said, wake up!"

Santana was awoken from her dream-like state by another slap to the face by Blaine, as she felt him shaking her aggressively by the shoulders.

The greasy-haired little man stood over Santana, who was slumped over on the gravel, and cackled manically.

"You really thought you could get away with this?" he crowed, as Brittany cowered away from him in fear as she crouched next to Santana's semi-conscious form.

He then raised the butt of the gun and swung, striking Santana across her cheek. Brittany cried out, flinging herself onto Santana, but was quickly dragged away by another of Blaine's cronies, who had accompanied Blaine down to the warehouse.

"Stupid bitch." He muttered viciously, snarling as he glared at Santana, who had begun to blink slowly, wincing as she registered the pain shooting up and down her body. "After all I've don't for you, this is how you repay me? By betraying me? And all for this... this... whore?"

Santana turned her head to the side, eyes half-shut, and stared straight at Blaine.

"Don't... you... d-dare call Brittany a w-whore."

Even in her dazed state, her voice was dangerous and sincere. Brittany couldn't help but to smile a tiny bit as she struggled in the arms of her captor. Blaine, however, seemed to become more enraged by Santana's refusal to give up. He growled angrily, before swinging his boot and connecting it forcefully with Santana's stomach.

"After ALL I have done for you! Where were you before you met me, huh? You were a homeless girl, who had been kicked out by your parents, had no money, no job, nothing. AND I TOOK YOU ON. I taught you everything! I gave you a job, found you that apartment... I even appointed you to the head of the ranks! Do you know how much any of the others would kill to have that position? Huh? Rachel, Artie, even Finn? ANY of them would feel lucky even being in the same room as me, but YOU, you have the audacity to not only take advantage of that privilege, but then you go and throw it back in my face! You ungrateful bitch!"

He lunged at Santana once again, but this time Brittany was ready for him. She gave her attacker a swift kick in between the legs, causing him to moan in pain and sink to the ground, cradling his crotch. She then ran at Blaine, barrelling into him and tackling him forcefully, until she was pinning him down, her knees weighing down heavily on his shoulders, rendering him unable to move.

"Well, l-looks like someone's still got some e-energy left." Blaine panted, as he struggled to throw Brittany off him.

The blonde snarled ferociously, before clasping her hands together and bringing them down on Blaine's chest in one swift motion. He gasped loudly, struggling to draw air into his lungs, as Brittany grinned maliciously.

"Doesn't feel so good being the helpless one in this situation, does it Mr Anderson?" Brittany cooed, her voice dripping with venom. But she winced suddenly as pain shot up her side, and Blaine leered up at her triumphantly.

"Still in pain, Brittany my dear? I see Sebastian did a good job beating the crap out of you." he drawled arrogantly.

"Not as good a job as I'm going to do with you." she muttered, before punching Blaine repeatedly, blow after blow raining down on him, his face, his chest, his stomach. He wheezed feebly, while Brittany attacked him without mercy.

However, Brittany was so caught up in her attack on Blaine that she failed to notice the presence of the formerly-injured guard, who was now sneaking up on her from behind. He lunged forward and grabbed the startled blonde, locking his arms around her waist, pinning her arms to her side and rendering her unable to move.

"Nice work Wes." Blaine mumbled, standing up slowly and brushing the dust off his black suit, using the back of his hand to wipe away the blood that had begin to trickle down his chin.

He then straightened up, glaring at Brittany with a look in his eyes that could only be described as pure loathing.

"You're going to regret that." Blaine threatened, his voice low and dangerous. "But, before I get to you, how about we deal with your precious Santana first?"

Brittany flailed and shook her head vehemently, but seeing her panic only amused Blaine, who watched with a grin on his face as Wes kept his hand clamped firmly over Brittany's mouth.

"Oh, you don't like that idea? All the more reason for me to do it." He snarled, the smile on his face morphing into a cruel sneer.

Santana, meanwhile, had begun to regain more awareness, and was currently struggling to sit up, despite the agonising throbbing coursing through her abdomen.

"Oh, how sublime! Miss Lopez has arisen, and just in time for her to face her demise!" Blaine cackled, a crazy look in his eyes.

"Sir, don't you think we ought to speed things up a bit? I mean, we don't know if they brought anyone with them, someone could have called the police-"

"Silence Wes!" Blaine commanded harshly. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time now, and I'm not going to let anyone spoil it. Now, bring the lovely Brittany here, so she can watch her beloved die at her feet. I don't want her to miss a thing."

Wes nodded, dragging the helpless Brittany over to Santana, who was crouched on all fours, retching due to the crippling ache that was reverberating around her frail form.

"My my, poor Santana." Blaine slurred sarcastically. "Look how the mighty have fallen."

Brittany strained against Wes with all her might, trying to reach Santana, tears streaming down her face.

"B-Blaine. Please d-don't do this." Santana begged, her lip trembling with fear.

Blaine simply laughed once, before raising his gun and placing it directly in between Santana's red, pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry Santana. You could've been something really special. But instead, you chose to throw that away. And look where that got you."

He cocked the gun, placing his finger on the trigger.

"I suppose I'm doing you a favour by shooting you. Now you won't have to go through life thinking about how you failed. How you failed me, how you failed your darling Brittany, and how you failed yourself. You should be thanking me, really."

"I'd rather cut off my own arm than thank you. You're a monster." Santana said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"That may be. But at least I'm alive."

Blaine then tightened his finger, preparing to pull the trigger once and for all. But he was stopped by the sound of a loud clunk coming from behind him. He turned in confusion, just in time to see Rachel racing at him, wielding a lead pipe in her hand. She brought it down heavily on Blaine's head, causing him to slump to the ground heavily, where he joined Wes, who Rachel had knocked unconscious with one blow to the head.

Blaine's eyes fluttered as he attempted to remain conscious. A fuzzy image of Rachel swam before him, as he tried to focus his eyes on one point. When he could see clearly again, he saw Rachel above him, now holding a sharp, serrated knife with a jagged edge.

"Does this look familiar?" Rachel teased. "I bet it does. But I wonder why that could be?" She tapped her chin, pretending to think about it. "Oh yes, that's right. It's yours, isn't it Blaine? Wow, killed by your own knife. That'll be a good message for your obituary."

"But... wait, I..."

"Blah, blah, blah. I really don't have time for this right now, _sir._" She sneered. "I do, however, have one more thing to say to you. Goodnight Mr Anderson. And remember... it gets pretty hot down there in Hell, so I'd take lots of sunscreen."

And with that, she plunged the knife deep into his heart, as he gurgled once then sagged down, the light leaving his eyes for good.

Rachel stood up quickly, racing over to Brittany.

"Britt!"

"I-I'm fine! Get Santana! S-she needs more help than I do!" Brittany gasped, her head reeling from the scene that had just unfolded in front of her eyes.

Rachel nodded swiftly, before running over to Santana, who was trembling and attempting to stop the flow of blood from the gun wound on her thigh.

"Here, let me do that." Rachel said softly, before taking off her bandana from around her head and using it as a tourniquet.

Santana hissed as the material squeezed her leg, but sighed slightly in relief when she saw the blood flow decrease noticeably.

"Rachel. If it weren't for you, Britt and I would be dead right now. I can't thank you enough." Santana spoke solemnly, looking deep into Rachel's eyes.

"It's no big deal. We're partners, right? Well, that's what partners do. They look out for each other. And their partner's partners." Rachel smiled, gesturing over to Brittany with a tilt of her head.

Santana let out a tiny giggle, before her face fell as she took in Brittany's appearance properly.

"Oh my god, Britt! What did they do to you? Are you okay? Brittany, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault! I swore I would never allow anything bad to happen to you, and now-"

Brittany limped over to Santana as quickly as she could, sitting next to the Latina and scooping her into her arms.

"Shh, shh. Santana, honey, it's okay. None of this was your fault. I still love you. I'm just so grateful you guys came to rescue me."

"R-really?" Santana choked out, eyes still red-rimmed and teary.

"Really." Brittany smiled, holding Santana tightly to her chest, before planting a kiss on her forehead.

Rachel observed the two women and couldn't help but to smile, the love and tenderness between them warming her heart. Then, she found her thoughts wandering to Quinn, and jumped up abruptly, startling Santana and Brittany.

"Oh my, Quinn! She's been in the van this entire time, who knows if anything's happened to her!"

"Rach, calm down." Brittany soothed. "She'll be fine, don't worry."

Rachel nodded, breathing deeply in an attempt to regulate her breathing, which had become rather panicky and uneven.

"Okay, well we need to get moving." Rachel said, some of her old determination returning to her voice. "Who knows if there are more of Blaine's men around here? And if there are, I sure as hell don't want to be here when they show up. How about you two?"

Santana and Brittany both shook their heads fervently, and Rachel nodded once.

"I didn't think so. Okay, here's what we're going to do. Britt, do you think you can make it to the van on your own?"

Brittany stood back up shakily, testing her legs. She nodded to Rachel, confident that she could walk considering most of the damage had been inflicted on her upper body.

"Okay, good. Now, Santana, this may hurt, but I want you to put your arms around my neck. Okay?"

Santana nodded, albeit slightly reluctantly, before reaching up and placing her arms around Rachel's neck, clasping her hands together at the back.

"Okay. On my count. One, two, three!"

On 'three', Rachel pulled Santana up, her arms wrapped firmly around the Latina's waist. Santana pushed herself up on her legs and managed to stand, but was gasping and leaning heavily on Rachel for support as the pain in her leg grew much worse.

"Alright, let's get moving." Rachel commanded.

They then began to make their way back to the shrouded area where they left Quinn in the van a few hours ago. Brittany let out a sigh of relief when she caught sight of the dark blue vehicle with the familiar blonde sitting anxiously in the front seat.

* * *

Quinn tapped her fingers impatiently, growing more nervous as the seconds ticked by. She glanced up, and her eyes widened as she took in the sight before her: Brittany, cradling her side, limping slowly alongside Rachel, who was supporting most of Santana's body weight as the Latina practically dragged herself along. Quinn threw open the door of the van and leapt out, running to the trio, who looked more than a little worse for wear.

"Oh my god, what happened? Britt, are you okay? Oh, Santana, you've been shot! Rachel, what..."

Quinn's sentence trailed off as she stood silently, mouth agape, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Just a few hours ago, Santana and Rachel were healthy, full of life, and now, Rachel looked rather battered while Santana looked as though she had just fought in a war.

"Quinn, I need you open up the back of the van so we can lie Santana down." Rachel stated.

Quinn nodded briefly, before racing round and flinging open the back doors of the van, pushing the spare equipment to the side to make room for Santana. Rachel led Santana over to the van, helping her in delicately before lying her down. Brittany climbed in beside her, lying Santana's head in her lap. She smiled at Rachel and nodded, letting her know that Santana would be fine with her there.

Rachel smiled back at Brittany, before climbing out of the back and shutting the doors securely.

She then made her way round to the passenger's side and climbed in, smiling a little at Quinn as the blonde also clambered in, somewhat shakily. They sat in silence for short while, before Quinn turned to Rachel. She gazed at the brunette for a few seconds, then, much to Rachel's surprise, Quinn leaned forward and kissed her. Quinn was even more surprised to feel Rachel kissing back, but soon relaxed into it, placing her hands on Rachel's cheeks and pulling her in closer.

After a minute or so, Quinn pulled back, panting breathlessly.

"Now, as much as I would love to do this all day, I think we have to get you all to the hospital, don't you think?"

Rachel grinned wryly, before replying with a reluctant "Yes ma'am", which amused Quinn greatly.

Quinn then turned the key in the ignition, the engine coming to life with a loud roar, as she sped off down the road, Rachel's hand resting on her thigh.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the back of the van, Brittany was sobbing quietly as she cradled Santana in her arms.

"I'm so sorry Sanny. I'm so sorry you got hurt. This wouldn't have happened if you didn't have to come and save me."

"Shh, Britt." Santana mumbled, her voice barely audible above the rumble of the engine. "None of this was your fault, do you hear me? None! And believe me, if I had to do it all over again, I would, if it meant I could have you back in my arms. Well, right now I'm in your arms, but you know what I mean."

Brittany giggled a little at Santana's bad attempt at a joke, but this sound alone was enough to lift Santana's spirits.

"See Britt, we're going to be fine. We just need to get patched up at the hospital, then we can start again, a new life together. How does that sound?"

The hopeful tone in Santana's voice was so endearing and heartbreaking; Brittany was rendered speechless for a second. But then, the blonde smiled, leaning down to plant a light kiss on Santana's lips. She then sat up, stroking the Latina's cheek tenderly, before answering her question with one simple, honest sentence.

"I think that sounds absolutely perfect."

* * *

**OH MY GOODNESS. Okay, before I say ANYTHING, I owe you guys a MASSIVE apology. I am SO sorry I took so long to write this, I've just suddenly become incredibly busy over the past few weeks so I didn't have any time to write! :( I feel so terrible about making you all wait, especially after leaving the last chapter on a cliff-hanger. But, I hope this chapter made up for the wait, I mean, we finally got the Brittana reunion, and you got some Faberry in there too! But yeah, once again, I'm terribly sorry for the long wait. **

**I also have to thank you guys, especially the readers who have stuck around since the beginning. You have no idea how happy it makes me when I get a new follower or a review, it literally makes my day. So thank you all, so much! **

**So yeah, I hope you're all enjoying the fic so far! Next update should be along soon (it should be a lot quicker than this one) and until then, stay awesome everyone! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

Quinn drove furiously, hell-bent on getting to the hospital quickly before either Santana or Brittany's injuries could get any worse. However, she was having a little bit of trouble concentrating fully on keeping her eyes on the road, as Rachel had spent the last fifteen minutes trailing her hand up and down Quinn's thigh in an agonisingly teasing way.

"Rachel." Quinn muttered through gritted teeth. "You do want to get to the hospital alive, don't you?"

She turned her head briefly to face Rachel, who had a devilish smirk on her face. The brunette then nodded, her expression one of mock-innocence, as she replied:

"Of course I do Quinnie. What's wrong?"

Quinn growled –she actually _growled_- as she turned to once again face the winding road up ahead.

"Little tease." She mumbled, as Rachel giggled cheekily beside her and laced their fingers together.

This made Quinn smile a little, as Rachel's touch made her feel all tingly and light-headed. She shook her head rapidly, intent on staying focused on the task at hand and not getting distracted.

"Okay, we'll be at the hospital in about five minutes. Santana, Britt, how're you guys doing back there?"

"We're okay." Brittany replied timidly, as Santana just nodded weakly from her place in Brittany's lap.

"Good." Quinn answered.

Brittany then continued to comfort Santana, holding her tightly and whispering words of reassurance in her ear. Every so often, the van would run over a pothole or a particularly rough patch of road, and Santana would wince and try not to cry out as jolts of pain ran through her body. Brittany grimaced each time this happened, and tried to soften the impact by pulling Santana up until half of her body was lying across Brittany's legs.

Santana then sat up slightly, using her elbows to prop herself up, and rested her forehead against Brittany's. She leaned in slowly, allowing them both to savour the feeling of their lips meeting, soft and warm, each caressing the other tenderly, moulding together as if they were one person.

After a few minutes, Santana lay back down, exhausted from having to hold herself up in her rapidly dwindling state. Brittany smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Santana's face before speaking.

"What was that for?" she smiled, stroking Santana's arm lovingly.

"To say thank you." came Santana's quiet reply.

"Thank you? For what?"

"For always being here for me. Even with all the shit I put you through, with the diamonds and Blaine and now this" – she gestured to Brittany and her darkening bruises – "You've never left me."

"Well, that's what a partnership's about, right?" Brittany replied, kissing Santana softly on her nose.

"Yes Britt. That's exactly what it's about."

They then settled into a comfortable silence as Santana lay back in Brittany's arms, and they all remained quiet for the remainder of the journey; Quinn drove determinedly while clutching Rachel's hand, while Brittany cradled Santana and planted soft kisses all over her face, which was scrunched up in pain but still managed to smile as she stared deeply into those beautiful baby-blues.

* * *

They arrived at the hospital soon after, Quinn bringing the van to a screeching halt, hitting the brake solidly. She chanted out apologies to the cries of protest emitting from the back of the van, but had to contain her grin as she saw Rachel attempting to stifle her giggles in the passenger seat.

"Ay, dios mio! Quinn, you drive like a lunatic!"

"Sorry Santana."

"You will be." The Latina muttered, much to Quinn's amusement.

"Anyway, enough of this. Come on you two, let's get you checked in." Rachel said, trying to diffuse the tension that had suddenly arisen. "I think we're all a little stressed about all that has happened, and we all need some time to just recuperate and get our heads together. Now, let's go in."

Rachel slung Santana's arm over her shoulder and held her up, and then they started making their way to the hospital entrance.

"Wait!"

Quinn, Rachel, and Santana all turned to face Brittany, their expressions a mixture of confusion and exasperation.

"Yes Britt?" Quinn sighed.

"Well, what are we going to tell the doctors?"

Quinn frowned in confusion, while Rachel and Santana nodded in agreement.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, her frustration growing due to the fact that she seemed to be the only one who didn't understand what was going on.

"Well, I think what Brittany is suggesting is that we can't just walk in and say, 'Oh, hi there. We've just been involved in a massive illegal operation that included a bunch of stolen diamonds and a kidnapping. Please help us.'"

From next to Rachel, Santana snorted as she began to giggle, while Quinn blushed and averted her gaze in embarrassment.

"Oh. Right."

Brittany walked to stand next to Quinn, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly and smiling before facing Rachel and Santana.

"So, what are we going to tell them?"

"We could say... that we were in a car accident?" Rachel suggested.

"Oh yeah, because that explains the gun wound in my leg." Santana replied dryly, as Rachel shoved her lightly and stuck her tongue out at the bemused Latina.

"We got caught in the middle of a turf war between two rival gangs?"

"Britt, that would be a good idea, if this were the 1970's and gangs walked around clicking their fingers and randomly breaking out into song every ten minutes."

Brittany giggled as Santana grinned, both girls remembering the conversation they had had when they had discussed Santana's love for musicals.

Rachel rolled her eyes as the girls gazed lovingly at each other, and continued to think of ideas. Quinn, meanwhile, was doing some thinking of her own, and then, it hit her.

"I've got it! It's a pretty horrible explanation, and I don't particularly like it, but if it gets you guys into the hospital without too many questions being asked, then that's good enough for me."

The other three girls turned to face Quinn, their expressions ranging from curious to sceptical.

"Okay, so you know recently in the papers, there have been quite a few reports of... hate crimes? You know, people being attacked based on their sexuality?"

They all nodded solemnly, listening to Quinn intently.

"Well, we could say that we were leaving a bar, and we were halfway up the road when a group of people came over to us and attacked us. Brittany and Santana tried to fight them off, and that's when they pulled the gun out on San. Then the security guard noticed what was going on and ran over, scaring them away, which is why Rachel and I acquired fewer injuries."

"Quinn... that's brilliant." Rachel breathed, while Brittany nodded in agreement next to her.

"Okay, great, that's our story. Now can we PLEASE get inside before I bleed to death?" Santana grumbled, as Rachel and Quinn quickly went to her with replies of "Of course!" and "Sorry!" and helped her up the steps, with Brittany hobbling next to them quietly.

They entered the hospital reception, which was quiet and only had a few patients occupying some of the seats. Quinn led Brittany and Santana over to sit down, while Rachel marched up to the receptionist and began explaining their 'situation'. The receptionist, whose name Rachel saw was Tina Cohen-Chang, nodded sympathetically as Rachel told her of their dreadful plight.

Quinn, meanwhile, was straining to catch what was being said while trying to support Santana at the same time, who was finding it harder and harder to support herself due to loss of blood. Quinn managed to catch the end of the conversation between Rachel and Tina.

"And so they'll be seen to right away?"

"Yes ma'am. We'll get them both into a room immediately, together as you insisted, and a doctor will arrive shortly."

"Thank you, Miss Cohen-Chang."

"You're welcome. And call me Tina."

They exchanged a friendly smile, and then Rachel walked back over to where they were sitting and perched on a chair next to Quinn, squeezing the blonde's hand and smiling.

A minute or so later, two men arrived with wheelchairs. Santana was manoeuvred into one, while Brittany sat herself in the other. They clasped their hands together for a second, and then broke contact once the interns began wheeling them towards the examination rooms.

"You'll be fine guys." Quinn called.

"And we'll be right here so we can see you once the examination is done." Rachel added.

"Speaking of examinations, don't you need to get checked out? You suffered a bit too back there."

Rachel shook her head but smiled at Quinn's concern, wrapping her arms around the blonde and pulling her to her chest.

"I'm fine, honestly. I've been through a LOT worse before. But thank you for caring."

They exchanged a small smile, and then Rachel leaned down and captured Quinn's lips with her own.

Tina happened to glance up at this moment, and smiled to herself at the sight of two young girls in love. It reminded her of her relationship with her girlfriend Mercedes, and she made a mental note to pick up some flowers for her on the way home.

* * *

Santana and Brittany, meanwhile, had been escorted into a brightly-lit room, that had a long table in the middle. The room was filled with various contraptions, most of which were completely alien to Brittany, although Santana had seen a few of them due to her violent past.

"We're just going to leave you here, and the on-call doctor will be along in a moment."

Santana nodded, while Brittany glanced around nervously, nibbling her lower lip, her forehead creased with worry. Santana waited until the interns had left, and rotated her wheelchair to face Brittany. She rolled forwards until their knees were touching, and placed her hands on either side of Brittany's face, gazing into her eyes earnestly.

"Britt, I know you're scared. But don't be. There's nothing to worry about, d'you hear me? _Nothing._ We're going to stay here for a while, get better, and then once we're all healed, we're going to live together, happily ever after, just like we agreed. Okay?"

Brittany nodded and sniffled, and Santana smiled and pecked her lightly on the lips.

Just then, the door swung open and in strode a tall, lithe man, wearing a long white coat atop a light blue shirt and chinos.

"Hello Santana, Brittany. I'm Doctor Michael Chang, but you can call me Mike. I'll be taking care of you both throughout the duration of your stay here at Lima Hospital."

Santana and Brittany smiled at the young, handsome doctor, who had kind eyes and a nice smile. Another male then entered the room; he seemed slightly younger than Doctor Chang, and he had a short black Mohawk and a cheeky grin on his face.

"Ah yes, this is my assistant, Noah Puckerman. He's an intern here, and he's been shadowing me these past few weeks in order to learn the ropes. He's going to be sitting in for your examination, I hope you don't mind?"

Both girls shook their heads, signalling that they didn't have a problem with it.

"Good. Now, Santana, your injuries are worse than Brittany's, so we're going to begin with you in order to ensure that you get all the medical care and attention you need."

He then proceeded to lift Santana onto the examination table, with the help of Noah, and Santana found it to be surprisingly soft.

"That table's a lot more comfortable than it looks, huh?" Noah drawled, winking boldly.

Santana rolled her eyes at the cocky intern, while Brittany giggled from her place in her wheelchair next to the table.

"Now, let's begin with the gun wound on your leg..."

* * *

A few hours later, Santana and Brittany emerged from the examination room, Santana with a white bandage swathed around her thigh, being wheeled out by the same two interns that took them in. They were accompanied by Doctor Chang, and were greeted by a relieved-looking Rachel and a rather concerned Quinn.

Quinn raced over to the doctor and grabbed his arm, speaking breathlessly.

"Excuse me, Doctor? What happened? How bad are their injuries? Are they both going to be okay?" Quinn garbled, her hazel eyes wide and panicked.

"Q, calm down." Brittany reassured her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently.

"Right, sorry. What's the verdict Doctor?" she tried again, taking a breath and facing Mike sombrely.

"Well, we performed a thorough examination on both girls, and luckily none of their injuries are life-threatening. Miss Pierce has a few broken ribs and a bruised abdomen, both of which will heal with lots of rest and care. Miss Lopez also sustained bruises to her face, abdomen, and chest, which again will heal quite rapidly, but the gun wound on her leg will take a few months to heal and will need constant supervision and care. Luckily, Miss Lopez is young and in good health and the bullet didn't hit any major arteries when it entered her leg, so long as we make sure her dressing is changed often and cleaned well and the stitches remain intact, the wound should heal up nicely over the course of the next few months. The only thing that will alter Miss Lopez' life is that she will have to use a cane for the next few years, but hopefully that won't be necessary for the rest of her life as long as the treatment is successful."

He offered the girls a reassuring smile, which Rachel returned warmly, while Quinn nodded apprehensively, her eyes cloudy with unshed tears upon hearing the extent of her friend's injuries.

"Right, now we have to take the girls into their room to get them settled, but we will be sure to have Tina inform you of when you can come and visit. Did you have any more questions before we take them in?"

"No thank you Doctor, I think we asked everything." Rachel replied warmly.

"Wait!" Quinn exclaimed. "Could we... have a minute?"

Mike nodded and smiled understandingly, replying "Of course" before stepping off to the side to allow the girls some private time.

Quinn approached Santana and Brittany slowly, taking Brittany's hand, with Rachel to her left.

"Well," Quinn exhaled slowly, "I think saying that the last few days have been eventful would be a slight understatement."

Santana and Brittany chuckled, and Rachel smiled lovingly at Quinn, as the blonde continued to speak.

"If someone had come to me a few weeks ago and told me that I would become involved in a diamond heist in which my best friend fell in love with a criminal and then was kidnapped and had to be rescued by me, said criminal, and her friend, I would have laughed in their face. But now, not so much." Quinn rolled her eyes playfully, eliciting a giggle from Brittany, before she carried on. "The past few days have been terrifying for all of us, and I can't imagine how the two of you must have felt, being ripped apart so suddenly. And, well, even though I can't do much to change what's happened, I can say that I'm extremely glad that we got you both back alive, even if you did get a bit roughed up in the process. I love you both."

Santana and Brittany smiled, as Quinn leant down to give each of them a warm hug. Rachel then cleared her throat, also wanting to say something before the girls were taken to their room.

"Well, my speech isn't going to be anywhere near as nice as Quinn's, but I will say this: Santana, you've got yourself one awesome girl there, she kicked some serious butt back there when she turned the tables on Blaine. And Brittany, I have to thank you."

Brittany's forehead creased in confusion.

"Thank me for what?"

"For introducing me to Quinn."

A silence settled over the girls for a split-second, before they all reacted in their own way to Rachel's honest words.

Brittany clapped her hands together excitedly and made "Aww" noises; Santana rolled her eyes and made fake retching noises; and Quinn blushed and held Rachel's hand tightly, burrowing her face into the brunette's shoulder to hide her embarrassment.

"Anyway, enough of this soppiness." Rachel chortled, laughing at the over-exaggerated expression of disgust that Santana had adopted. "We should get going, we don't want to waste any more of your healing time. We'll see you both real soon, okay?"

Santana nodded and smiled, while Brittany grinned and said, "Bye Rach!"

Quinn began to follow Rachel out towards the door, but turned just before she stepped outside and gave the girls one last smile and a wave goodbye.

Santana waved back, while Brittany blew Quinn a kiss. Then Quinn stepped out into the cool night air with Rachel, and the doors slid shut behind them.

* * *

Quinn and Rachel made their way over to the van, eyeing it thoughtfully.

"So, what do we do about this?" Rachel muttered, pondering quietly.

"I kinda want to keep it." Quinn admitted, much to Rachel's surprise. "Well, it's a good van, it runs well, and it looks awesome."

"Only problem is, what if anyone recognises it? You know, anyone who's worked for Blaine and may have seen the van before?"

Quinn tapped her finger against her chin thoughtfully, and then grinned as she was struck by an idea.

"We could re-paint it! That way, it'll just look like any old van and no one will suspect a thing!"

Rachel beamed at Quinn, nodding in agreement.

"Wow, Quinn. You're coming up with some great ideas tonight."

Quinn blushed and averted her gaze, staring at the gravel beneath her feet. Rachel then strode forward boldly, closing the gap between them in a few steps. Quinn's breath stopped for a second when she felt Rachel's hot breath on her lips, but soon relaxed when she felt Rachel's slender arms slide up and around her neck.

"So, what colour should we paint it?" purred Rachel, as she stroked her hand up and down Quinn's neck.

"W-whatever colour you want." Quinn stuttered, finding it difficult to stop her brain from turning into mush at Rachel's confident touch.

"What's your favourite colour Q?"

"P-purple."

"Purple it is." Rachel whispered, the words gliding over Quinn's exposed neck and causing her skin to prickle heatedly.

"So, you wanna come back to my place?" Quinn murmured, sighing as Rachel placed a soft kiss on her collarbone.

"Hell yeah." Rachel replied, suckling on Quinn's skin for a second and leaving a small pink bruise.

"Let's go."

Quinn then grasped Rachel's hand and led her over to their van, opening the passenger door for her. Rachel's cheeks flushed at the kind gesture, and she smiled at Quinn as she climbed in. The blonde then walked around the front of the van and got into the driver's seat, making sure her seatbelt was fastened before turning the key in the ignition.

"You ready?" she whispered.

Rachel could sense that Quinn was talking about more than just the ride home, and so turned to her and kissed her passionately, before replying:

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Santana and Brittany were getting settled into their joint room.

"Now, if there's anything you need, you just press the button labelled 'Assistance' and either myself or a nurse will come to you. Also, you will have meals brought to you three times a day, and there is a phone on your bedside table for any calls you may want to make. Do you have any questions?"

Both girls shook their heads at Doctor Chang, who smiled and nodded.

"Okay then. I'll be back later to check your vitals and make sure everything's going well."

"Bye Mike!" exclaimed Brittany, which caused Santana to burst into a fit of giggles.

"Oh Britt-Britt."

"What?" Brittany said, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Nothing. You just make me laugh, that's all." Replied Santana, a grin dominating her stunning features.

"Well, good." Said Brittany, who beamed back at the Latina.

They settled into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Brittany turned her head to face Santana's bed once again.

"Hey San?"

"Yeah baby?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." Santana smiled, as she met Brittany's honest gaze.

"No, I mean, I LOVE you. Like, I'm completely, totally, wonderfully, irrevocably in love with you, Santana Lopez."

"Wow, that's a lot of adjectives." Santana said playfully. "But I think I can top that. I am ridiculously, head-over-heels, one-hundred percent, magnificently, colossally in love with YOU, Brittany S Pierce."

Brittany smiled over at Santana, and then her expression turned serious.

"Honestly San. I mean, I can't express just how much I love you. And how grateful I am that you came and rescued me, even though it put your own life in danger. That time we spent apart was the worst time of my life, and I never want to be apart from you again. I want you to be mine, forever, until death do us part. I will love you forever, and that's a promise, because you make me so damn happy, and you deserve to be shown all the love in the world. You're the most amazing, beautiful, astounding, life-changing person I've ever met Santana. And I am so glad that those stupid diamonds fell into my bag that day. Because they led you to me. And now you're mine."

Santana listened to Brittany speak with tears rolling openly down her face. She had never heard anyone speak so honestly before, and Brittany's words tore right into her heart.

"Brittany, I swear, I will never let anything come between us again. And if anyone even tries to hurt you ever again, I will kill them."

"Don't say tha-"

"I mean it."

"Well, as much as I appreciate it, I don't want you to say it and I don't want you to mean it. All I want is for us to be together, and once we leave this hospital, for us to start a new life, together, away from all this."

"Okay B."

"Where should we move to?"

"What?"

"Well, we've discussed leaving, but we haven't yet said where we should go. So, ideas?"

"Okay. Well, I've always wanted to go to New York..."

"New York it is."

"What? Britt, are you sure?"

"If it's what you want, then it's what I want. Simple as that."

"Oh Brittany. I love you so much."

"I love you more Santana."

"I doubt that."

"And Sanny?"

"Yes Britt?"

"Will you take me to see a musical when we get to New York?"

"Of course Britt. We can see as many musicals as you want."

* * *

**YAAAAAAAAY! Everything's all happy again! I love writing happy chapters ^^ **

**So, this was meant to be the last chapter, but I realised that it would be RIDCULOUSLY long, like, 20 pages or something, so I cut it in half. SO, you'll get the next part in the next chapter, but its fine, because it doesn't continue on from this chapter anyway. That means this isn't the last chapter, which I hope ya'll are happy about :) **

**Oh, here's another fun questions for you guys - did anyone notice the tiny bit of dialogue that I borrowed from Episode 8 of Pretty Little Liars Series 3? The episode was called 'Stolen Kisses' – anyone who figures out what quote it is and who said it, leave the answer in a review and you'll get a shout-out in the next chapter! :D Here's a clue – the line was in the last section of this chapter.**

**Also, this update was noticeably quicker than some of my previous ones, so I hope that's a good thing ^^ **

**So I hope you're all enjoying the fic so far! Next update should be along real soon, and until then, stay awesome everyone! :D**


	12. Chapter 12

_A few months later..._

Santana stirred slowly, blinking to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the hospital room she was sharing with Brittany. She yawned and stretched slowly, and was relieved when she noticed that she could now yawn without violent pain shooting through her chest and abdomen. She then glanced down at her leg and smiled slightly when she caught sight of the gun wound which was almost fully mended now, except for a few tiny stitches.

"I must be almost healed by now." she mumbled to herself.

She then noticed that Brittany was tossing quite a bit in her bed, and sat up, watching curiously. The blonde was muttering quietly, something about 'higher' and 'mmm, fun'. But then, Santana noticed that Brittany was getting dangerously close to the edge of her bed. She was about to shout and wake her, when Brittany went flying over the other side, crashing to the floor, her plate from last night's meal clattering to the floor as she jogged her bedside table during the fall.

"Britt?! Britt, are you okay?" Santana struggled to get out of bed, grabbing her cane and pressing the 'Assistance' button before hobbling over to where Brittany was sprawled on the floor.

"Brittany?"

"Mmmmm." Brittany mumbled, her eyes half-open, her face scrunched up in confusion. "What... what happened?"

"You were having some kind of dream, and one minute you were tossing in bed, the next minute you fell out and onto the floor. You kept muttering about going higher or something, it was all very confusing to watch."

"Oh, right." Brittany began to blush as she remembered her dream, and sat up, while Santana watched her, her expression befuddled.

"What, Britt? What were you dreaming?"

"I... I was dreaming that we were swinging on a hammock together, and we were... y'know..."

Santana's eyes widened in realisation, before she began to snigger hysterically.

"You... you were dreaming about us having sex in a hammock?"

"Yes." Giggled Brittany.

"Well, was it goo-"

"Ladies, is everything okay in here?" Mike came rushing into the room, running over to where Brittany was sitting on the floor.

"Oh, everything's fine Mike. I just had a pretty intense dream and fell out of bed, but I'm fine. Gave Santana a bit of a scare though." answered Brittany humorously, before getting to her feet and dusting herself off.

"Well, I just want to give you a quick check-over, to make sure you really are okay. Especially because of the good news I have to give you both."

Santana perked up upon hearing this, and Brittany leaned forward in anticipation.

"What news?"

"Well, the other doctors and I have been reviewing your progress over the last few months, and we've come to the decision that you can both be discharged and go home."

The silence lasted for a heartbeat, and then Brittany enveloped Santana in a bear-hug, chanting "Woo!", while Santana grinned happily.

"I thought you'd be pleased." chortled Mike cheerfully. "So, Brittany, you come with me so I can check that you're okay, and Santana, you'd better start packing!"

* * *

Brittany returned to their room fifteen minutes later, to find Santana folding the clothes that Quinn and Rachel had brought them, placing them into a duffel bag.

"So, what did Mike say? Are you okay?" Santana rushed over to Brittany – well, more like shuffled as quickly as someone can when they have to walk with a cane – and took her hand in hers.

"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. I'm a tough cookie." Brittany winked, eliciting a giggle from Santana.

"Okay, great. Well then, you can come and help me with all this packing!"

Brittany followed Santana over to the rather large pile of clothes and sighed in amusement.

"I don't know what Rach was thinking, bringing us all these clothes – I mean, it's not like we get many opportunities to partake in fashion shows here!" Brittany chuckled.

"Yeah, and she didn't even bring me any of my favourite tops. Urgh." muttered Santana as they packed away the last of their things, causing Brittany to chortle loudly next to her. "Ah well, I still love her to pieces, even if she is like the annoying little sister I never had."

"You excited to see her and Quinn?" Brittany asked, smiling at the thought of seeing her best friends.

"Yes. But I am NOT looking forward to seeing that pooch that they bought recently. I mean, they brought that thing here ONCE, and it managed to chew up my blanket, pee in my shoe, AND it barked the entire time they were here!"

"Aw, come on San. You love little Sammy. You have to admit, he's really cute! He looks just like the dogs on the Andrex toilet paper ads, all blonde and fluffy!"

"Hmm, I guess he is cute. He's a right nuisance though."

"Does that mean you'd never let us get a dog when we move into our own place?" Brittany pouted, turning to Santana and sniffling pitifully.

"Oh, puppy-dog eyes, eh? How ironic!" she laughed. "Look, Britt, I never said we can't get a dog. I just wouldn't want one that's going to grow to be bigger than me and then wreck the house."

"So... we can get a dog?! A little one?"

"Yes Britt. We can get a dog."

"YAY!" Brittany squealed, throwing her arms around Santana and embracing her tightly.

"Okay Britt! I'd like to leave here with my lungs intact, thank you." Santana chuckled, before kissing Brittany lightly on her soft pink lips.

A knock then sounded on their door, and Brittany strode over, opening it and then smiling when Mike entered the room once again.

"Ladies, your cab is waiting for you outside. Do you need help with your bags?"

"That would be great Mike, thanks." Santana smiled gratefully.

They walked the short distance to the elevator and then got in, Brittany dragging one suitcase while Mike held the duffel bag, with Santana scooting in behind them. The doors pinged open in a matter of seconds, and they entered the hospital reception, smiling at the soft light that filtered in through the large windows.

"Now, I just need you to see Tina at the front desk, sign a few things, and then you're good to go." said Mike.

"Okay." replied Brittany, with Santana nodding and following her to the desk.

Tina heard the sound of approaching footsteps and looked up, her face breaking into a smile once she saw who it was.

"Hey girls!"

"Hey Tina." smiled Brittany.

"How're you?" inquired Santana, as Tina reached behind her for the paperwork.

"I'm great, thank you. I have a date with Mercedes tonight, it's our two-year anniversary today."

Tina blushed as Brittany said "Ohhh" in a seductive voice, while Santana smirked and nudged her playfully.

"Anyway, here's your paperwork. There are two forms I need you both to sign, and then I just need you to clarify all your personal details. And then you can go."

She handed Santana the forms and a pen, and within less than five minutes, everything was signed and completed.

"Well girls, I must say, it's been an absolute pleasure having you here. I'm not supposed to say this, but you're definitely my favourite patients." Tina said, in an over-exaggeratedly hushed whisper.

"Aww, well we've enjoyed getting to know you Tina." answered Santana warmly.

"Definitely. Oh, and we should all go out on a double-date sometime! You and Mercedes can visit us in New York, and we'll take you out to dinner! Okay?" exclaimed Brittany excitedly.

"Sounds like a plan!" replied Tina happily.

The girls then said one last goodbye and turned to get their bags. Mike grabbed the duffel bag once again, and carried it out to their awaiting taxi, placing it in the trunk along with the suitcase. He then turned to face the girls, sighing heavily.

"Ladies. It has been an honour being your doctor for the past few months. I'm extremely happy you've both healed so well, and I wish you a lifetime of happiness."

Santana smiled, rubbing Mike's arm affectionately before replying, "Thank you for being such an incredible doctor Mike. We owe you so much."

Brittany then pulled Mike into a warm hug, whispering, "Thank you for saving her" in his ear softly.

He didn't reply; he simply pulled back, looked Brittany in the eye, and nodded once.

"Good luck to both of you. And I am fully expecting an invitation to the wedding!" he winked, as he opened the door of the cab, allowing first Santana then Brittany to climb in, before closing the door softly behind them.

They gave the cab driver Santana's address, before waving to Mike and then settling back in the soft leather seats.

"Well Britt, that's it. We finally get to go home." Santana smiled, linking her arm with Brittany's and leaning her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"We sure do." Brittany grinned back, before speaking again. "Although, home is wherever you are Santana, so I guess I've been home all along."

* * *

"Is that everything Britt?"

"I think so."

"Well, it looks like everythi-"

"WAIT! We almost forgot something!"

Brittany raced over to the corner of her garden, and began scrabbling around in the bushes furiously.

"What's she looking for?" asked Quinn quietly.

Santana just shrugged, while Rachel watched in amusement.

"I found it!"

Brittany raced back over to the trio, proudly showing off the dirty ornament she held in her right hand.

"Uh, Britt? That's just a filthy old statue." Rachel said, her expression bemused.

"Nu-uh. This isn't just ANY old statue. This is the statue of Freya, the Norse goddess that Santana gave me towards the start of our relationship."

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you still have it!" exclaimed Santana, blushing shyly. "And that reminds me! Okay, Britt, before we leave, we have to make one stop on the way to the airport. That okay?"

"Sure thing babe." Brittany answered.

Meanwhile, Quinn was trying to stop Sammy from digging up the flowerbeds, but was failing rather obviously, much to Rachel's amusement.

"Sammy! Sam, stop it! Come on, please listen to Mummy! Sam!"

"Here, honey, let me." Rachel interjected, before clearing her throat then shouting: "SAM. STOP THAT. COME HERE NOW."

At the sound of Rachel's voice, Sam immediately stopped burrowing and trotted over to them, sitting at Rachel's feet obediently and staring up at her, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Urgh, I have no idea how you do that." Quinn muttered, while Rachel tittered quietly next to her.

"Okay, NOW do we have everything?" Santana asked tiredly.

"Yes! Now we have everything." Brittany replied, before looking to the man who would be driving the moving van and giving him a thumbs-up. "Thank you for being so patient, I know this is killing you." Brittany mumbled, before kissing Santana sweetly on the nose.

"It's okay. It's all going to be worth it when we get to New York and get to unpack all of our stuff in our amazing new apartment."

"And when we get our new puppy!"

"Sure Britt." Santana smiled lovingly at the blonde, who was grinning endearingly.

"Uh, Miss?" called the truck driver, Joe, as he pushed his thick dreadlocks away from his striking face. "We're scheduled to leave in about ten minutes in order to make your flight. That okay?"

Santana turned to the young man and was about to give him a piece of her mind for interrupting her moment with Brittany, but the blonde saw this coming and turned to Joe quickly, replying with, "Yes, that's fine, thank you!"

"You sneaky little thing." Santana growled, grabbing Brittany and tickling her wildly until she fell to the floor helplessly.

"San! San, s-stop! I can't b-breathe! Sanny!" Brittany giggled, wiggling around in an attempt to escape Santana's merciless fingers, to no avail.

"I am the Terrible Tickler!" Santana exclaimed, in a cartoon-style voice. "Beware! The Tickler attacks when you least expect her to, rendering you incapable of escape! She then uses her magical cane to transport you to her lair, where she keeps you there for eternity! MUAHAHAHA-"

"Uh, guys? Sorry to interrupt, but didn't you have something kind of important to do today? What was that again? Oh yeah... move to a different state and completely abandon us?!" Quinn huffed, her annoyance evident to the girls.

"Aww, don't be like that Quinnie!" exclaimed Brittany, jumping up and wrapping her arms around the distraught blonde. "We're going to come and visit you every month, and you know you're always welcome to stay with us during holidays."

"But... it won't be the same." Quinn sniffled, a single tear running down her smooth cheek.

"Come on Q. Toughen up! You've got Rach here with you, and now you've got Sam too. It's not like you're going to be alone! I mean, I know it's going to be really difficult not being in my spectacular presence every day," – Santana winked cheekily, eliciting a small giggle from Quinn – "But you'll survive. Honestly Q, you're going to be fine."

Santana then smiled warmly at Quinn, using her cane to walk forwards and envelop her in a hug.

Brittany watched the scene between them with a smile on her face, and then turned to face Rachel, who was trying to hold back her own tears.

"Aw Rach, not you too?" Brittany smiled sympathetically, before taking the brunette's hand in her own.

"I'm just really going to miss you guys, that's all." Rachel sniffed, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her reindeer sweater that Quinn had bought her for her birthday, before pulling Brittany into a firm embrace.

"Before you go, I'd like to have a word with Santana." Rachel said, smiling sadly.

"And... I want to talk to Britt." mumbled Quinn.

Quinn then took Brittany's hand and led her over to the bench in the corner of the garden, which had always been her favourite spot, while Rachel and Santana sat on the front steps leading up to the house...

* * *

Rachel took a deep breath, and then raised her head to look Santana in the eye. The Latina had an expression of slight confusion on her face, as she had no idea what Rachel would want to say to her in private.

"Santana, we worked together for a long time. We went on missions together, were each other's lookout more than a few times, and always were the best at what we did. But something I never thought you would be is my friend. And yet, here we are, friends. More than that, I feel like we're family."

Santana smiled at Rachel, before replying,

"Yeah, well, I always say you're like the annoying little sister I never had."

Rachel punched her playfully on the shoulder, before turning serious.

"I mean it though. You are one of the only people I can trust. You're my best friend, and I'm going to miss you so much, but I know you're going to have an unforgettable time living in New York with Brittany."

"I'm going to miss you too Rach." Santana nodded sadly.

They then sat in silence for a minute, neither one saying a word, each simply enjoying the tranquil serendipity that was often found in Lima.

"I bet you're going to miss this peace and quiet once you enter the hustle and bustle of New York, eh?

"Yeah, I guess. Although we didn't get much quiet anyway living at yours while we were getting all our stuff sorted for the move."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say, you and Quinn aren't exactly subtle when you're in bed together."

"Santana!"

"What? It's true."

Santana chuckled loudly while Rachel huffed in mock-anger, crossing her arms over her chest and stamping her foot.

"Hey Rach?"

"Yes?"

"Who's Mr Sparky? And why does he make you both moan so damn loudly?"

"Oh my god!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Brittany and Quinn were perched on the bench, Quinn playing with the hem of her cardigan while trying not to show how upset she was.

"Quinn?"

"Mhmm?"

"Look at me."

"Nu-uh."

"Oh, come on Q. It's our last day here, not even that, it's our last few minutes! You're really going to ruin that by being in a mood with me?"

Quinn shrugged stubbornly, while refusing to look Brittany in the eye.

"Fine. I guess I should just leave now-"

"No! ... I mean, wait."

Brittany settled back down onto the bench, holding Quinn's hand and stroking it softly.

"Look Quinn. I know its going to be difficult, not seeing each other every day, not having lunch in the park, not hanging out every Friday night. But just because I'm moving, it doesn't mean I love you any less. You're still my bestie. And you always will be. Okay?"

Quinn nodded reluctantly, before grabbing Brittany and hugging her tightly, her tears flowing once again.

"Love you Quinnie."

"Love you too Britt."

* * *

"Excuse me, ladies? It's time to go."

Joe's voice pulled each of the girls out of their little moments, and they all stood up and walked towards the moving van. They exchanged final hugs before Santana and Brittany climbed into the van, grateful that it was the type that had three seats in the front instead of two so they could sit together.

"Bye guys! I love you!" Quinn called, waving and sobbing quietly, while Rachel waved too and had her arm firmly around Quinn's shaking shoulders, offering comfort which the blonde was extremely grateful for.

"Tell Sammy I love him!" said Brittany, before adding, "And I love you guys too!"

Santana, being more reserved than Brittany, settled on waving and blowing the couple a kiss, before speaking in her trademark Spanish tongue.

"Adios chicas! Te quiero mucho!"

And with that, they pulled away from the curb, Brittany gripping Santana's hand tightly, scared but excited for the journey that lay ahead of them.

* * *

"Um, excuse me, Joe? Would it be okay if we made a quick stop on the way to the airport?"

"Sure thing Miss." he replied. "Where d'you wanna go?"

"Umm, it's a small shop in Lima Heights? Sells garden ornaments? Called, uh, Hummel's Horticultural Haven."

"Oh, I know the place! We'll be there in less than fifteen minutes."

"Thanks Joe."

* * *

Not long after, they pulled up outside of Kurt's shop, Santana grinning excitedly.

"What are we doing here San?"

"THIS is a very important place. This is where I got that Freya ornament from, the thing which I see as a symbol of our relationship being reformed into something even greater after we had that awful fight. And, there is a rather spectacular young man who works here who you just HAVE to meet."

She grabbed Brittany's hand and practically dragged her out of the van, before shouting to Joe:

"We won't be long!"

Santana raced up to the door and pushed it open, smiling as she heard the little bell tinkle above her head.

"Aha, customers! I was thinking I would be devoid of human contact all day thanks to this miserable weather!" came Kurt's voice from behind a colourful display of gnomes. "Now, what can I help you with toda- Hey, Santana!" Kurt grinned widely as he noticed the Latina leaning on the counter, before racing over to her and enveloping her in a hug.

"How've you been girl?" he asked cheerfully.

"I've been... well, it's a long story, one I'll have to tell you one day over a nice cup of coffee. But, for now, I wanted you to meet someone. Kurt, this is Brittany. My girlfriend. Brittany, this is Kurt, the owner of this wonderful store."

Kurt beamed at this, and rushed forward, arms outstretched, embracing Brittany warmly.

"So lovely to meet you! I take it the ornament was a success then?" he asked Santana, winking mischievously.

"You have no idea." replied Santana, looking at Brittany lovingly. "Look, Kurt, there was another reason we came here today, aside from wanting to see you. You see, we're moving to New York, and we would like to find a special ornament to take with us for our new place. I mean, we're going to be living in an apartment so we won't have a garden, but we can just have it as a house ornament."

"Well honey, first of all, I say... New York! Wow, it's always been a dream of mine to visit the Big Apple."

"Well, Santana loves musicals, so it's like, her perfect place to live." said Brittany, to which Kurt clapped his hands and jumped up and down excitedly.

"Oh, Chandler and I simply ADORE musicals!"

"Wait, Chandler?" Santana questioned, smirking at the way Kurt's ears turned red. "Now who is Chandler? He wouldn't happen to be the extremely cute bookstore boy I told you to ask out all those months ago?"

"The very same!" exclaimed Kurt. "I went over there a few days after our conversation, and there he was, flicking through a first-hand edition of Harry Potter. So, I strode over, started talking about how brilliant the books are, and next thing I know, we're having coffee at his apartment and watching Evita together!"

"How romantic." sighed Brittany, causing Santana to giggle at her adorable girlfriend.

"Anyway, enough of my jibber-jabbering. You said you're here for an ornament for the two of you to have in New York? I think I have just the thing..."

He shuffled off towards the back, rooting through shelves until he let out a loud "Aha!" and stepped back with something in his hand.

"Now, this is a one-of-a-kind ornament. I bought her years ago from a market, I had to have her for my store the moment I saw her."

"Who is she?" whispered Brittany.

"She is Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love."

"She's perfect." Santana gasped, while Brittany just stared at the beautiful statuette, her body lithe and beautiful, swathed in a white robe that swirled around her body.

"We'll take her." Santana smiled, while Kurt grinned at them happily.

"Yay! I'll just wrap her up for you now."

Kurt and Santana then made their way over to the front desk, while Brittany remained by the other goddess statues, momentarily hypnotised by their beauty.

"So, Kurt, how much do I owe you?"

But the young man shook his head, pushing Santana's money back across the desk to her.

"This one's on me." he smiled warmly.

"Aw Kurt. Thank you." Santana smiled back gratefully, grasping his hand warmly for a second.

"Hey San, I think we have to go now!"

Brittany came bounding up behind Santana, stopping and smiling shyly at the bemused expression on Kurt's face.

"Okay Britt. Give me a minute."

She then turned to the brown-haired man behind the desk, smiling slightly.

"Kurt, I may not have known you for very long, but I have a feeling we're going to be friends for a rather long time."

Kurt grinned at this, before replying,

"Honey, are you really surprised? I mean, two people as fabulous as we are were BOUND to meet at some point!"

He ended the sentence with a dramatic flourish and a hair flick, which reduced Santana and Brittany to a fit of giggles. Santana managed to compose herself long enough to say one more thing to Kurt.

"Oh, and if you and Chandler ever come to New York, give me a call on this number," – she handed over a scrap of paper on which she had scribbled her mobile number – "And we can all go to a show together and have dinner or something."

"Sounds splendid! Anyway, I think you have to be somewhere. So goodbye for now darlings!"

Kurt embraced first Santana and then Brittany, dabbing at his eyes over-dramatically as the girls left his store, their laughter echoing around the practically empty street.

They climbed back into the van, told Joe to take them to the airport where their things needed to be dropped off before they got their flight, and then shouted goodbye to Kurt as he waved from the doorway of his store.

* * *

Once they got to the airport, they checked in all of their belongings, made sure their passports were validated and scanned, and then waited around until their flight was called. They made their way to the departure gate, holding hands and glancing at each other every so often, nervous but excited.

They shuffled onto the plane along with the other passengers, locating their seats easily. They had seats along the left-hand side of the plane, and had a great window view, which Brittany was thrilled about. Santana was also happy with their seats because it meant she could get up easily whenever she wanted to, without having to awkwardly scoot past a stranger.

Brittany was looking out of the window happily, watching other planes depart and land, and so it took her a minute to realise that Santana was watching her. She turned to face the Latina and blushed at Santana's intense gaze.

"What?"

"You're just so god-damn beautiful Miss Pierce. You take my breath away."

Brittany giggled at Santana's use of her last name, and then leant forward, capturing Santana's chin between her finger and thumb.

"Oh yeah? Well, you're the sexiest woman I've ever seen in my entire life. And I've watched Angelina Jolie movies."

Santana laughed heartily at this, loving the fact that Brittany had the ability to make her laugh almost effortlessly.

"Britt?" Santana murmured, bringing both of Brittany's hands into her lap and grasping them in her own.

"Yeah San?"

"We're really doing this, aren't we?"

"Yeah we are."

"And you're sure you want this? I mean, you're not just doing this because I want to? Because I couldn't live with myself if I thought that-"

"Santana!" Brittany interrupted. "Stop. Now. I am doing this because I want to. I want to be with you, for the rest of my life. That's it. I don't care where we are, whether we're in New York, or Lima, or anywhere. I'll be happy as long as I'm with you. Okay?"

"Okay." Santana nodded, before leaning forward to gently kiss Brittany.

"Mmmmm." Brittany sighed, before breaking the kiss to look Santana in the eye. "I love you, Miss Lopez."

"And I love you, Miss Pierce."

They sat there for a few minutes, simply gazing at each other, until Brittany suddenly bolted upright, a giant grin on her face.

"Oh, San! You know what we should do now that we're going to be stuck on a plane for hours? We should play a game! Let's play a game? We could play I-Spy?"

Santana shook her head fervently.

"Okay. Truth or Dare?"

Another shake of the head.

"The Question Game?"

"What's the Question Game?"

"Basically, I ask you a question, and you can answer that question normally, but you have to_ end_ your answer with a question. Wanna try it?"

Santana saw how excited Brittany was by the idea, so she nodded slowly.

"Yay! Okay, here goes: What kind of dog do you want us to get?"

"I don't know. What kind of dog never needs to go to the bathroom?"

"Oh Sanny, you're funny. When we get to New York, can we go to Central Park?"

"Yes. Why do you want to go there?"

"Because that's where 'Friends' is! When we get to New York, can we go to the Empire State Building?"

"Yes Britt. Are you happy that we're going to live together?"

Brittany paused for a second, before taking Santana's hand and answering,

"I've never been happier. What's Barnes and Noble?"

"It's a bookstore. How long does this game last?"

"Until we run out of questions! What's your middle name?"

"Don't have one. Isn't this going to get boring?"

"Nope! I've got billions of questions in my head. What shall we name our dog?"

"Something funny, like Churro. But what if I want to watch one of the in-flight movies?"

"Churro! I love it! And you can't, because we're playing this awesome game! What's the difference between an egg with an egg in it, and an egg with a baby chicken inside of it?"

They hadn't even taken off yet, but Santana could tell this was going to be a VERY long flight.

* * *

**Longest. Chapter. Ever.**

**I actually feel exhausted after writing this, wow! Okay, first thing's first – THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OF 'YOU'VE BEEN STRUCK BY A SMOOTH CRIMINAL'. Waaaaaaaaaah :( I'm actually quite upset about this, I mean, this is my second major fic, after 'Crash', so it's pretty important to me, and now it's coming to an end! I have to say a GIANT thank you to everyone who has read it, from the readers who've stuck with it since the beginning to the people who are only just discovering it now. Thank you all, because without all those hits, subscribers, and reviews, I wouldn't have had the encouragement and inspiration to keep writing. You're all amazing :) **

**Also, well done to 'CherishBrittana', who was the first reviewer to find the lines from Pretty Little Liars! :D For those of you who don't know the quote or had trouble finding it, it was:**

"**Don't say tha-"**

"**I mean it."**

"**I don't want you to say it, and I don't want you to mean it," said by Emily to Paige in 'Stolen Kisses'. **

**Alas, this is my last author's note for this fic, so I'm going to end it the way I end all of my notes – I hope you all enjoyed this fic, reviews are STILL like crack to me, so keep 'em coming, and until my next fic/one-shot, stay awesome everyone! :D**


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